President Miguel Díaz-Canel has sparked a wave of outrage on social media after blaming capitalism for "buying" the talents of young Cubans who emigrate, while his own stepson lives and studies at an expensive private university in Madrid.
This past Thursday, Díaz-Canel delivered a speech at the corner of 23 and 12 in Havana's Vedado district, during the event marking the 65th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution's socialist declaration.
During his speech, he claimed that the exodus of professionals is "a very painful wound," arguing that these are young people educated for free in Cuba's schools and universities, whose talents and capabilities are then acquired by capitalism without any investment on its part.
The response on Facebook was swift and fierce. User Lara LP encapsulated the sentiments of thousands with her remarks.
"Canel is such a hypocrite, criticizing young people who studied 'for free' in Cuba and then moved to capitalist countries, when that's exactly what his stepson Manuel Anido Cuesta did," she posted on her Facebook profile.
Anido Cuesta, the son of Díaz-Canel's wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza, resides in Madrid on a student visa and attends a program at IE University Business School, one of Spain's most expensive private institutions, with tuition fees exceeding 12,300 euros annually, according to information confirmed in June 2025.
Anido Cuesta's monthly living expenses in Madrid surpass 2,000 euros, while the average monthly salary in Cuba is around 16 dollars.
This pattern is common among the ruling elite. The son of Prime Minister Manuel Marrero was photographed vacationing in Spain in January 2024, and the daughter of the head of the Business Administration Group S.A. (GAESA) resides and works in Panama.
Many Cubans questioned the notion of free education directly. According to Anamar Santinez, "the issue is that neither education nor healthcare is free as they claim; ultimately, you end up paying for it and then some."
Marlens Catalá was more blunt. "I paid for my university education by working for the Cuban government for six years in agricultural labor, five days a week, far from my family. Then, I worked for thirty years earning almost nothing. I owe them nothing," she emphasized.
Ine Sera highlighted the regime's double standards, stating, "We emigrate because there is no freedom in our country, while your children can legally emigrate to study in Europe, so they don't have to validate their qualifications, and their degrees can be recognized anywhere."
Demographic data underscores the scale of the exodus that the president laments without taking responsibility. Various estimates indicate that between 2021 and 2025, nearly two million Cubans emigrated, and in 2024 alone, the net migration resulted in 251,221 fewer people, reducing the island's population to 9,748,007, the lowest level since 1985.
Thirty percent of emigrants are between 15 and 34 years old, and independent surveys suggest that 93% of Cubans would leave the country if they could.
Horacio Nancy Chang concluded the discussion with a statement that captured the collective sentiment. "The entire Cuban population has been paying and continues to pay with painful sacrifice, with blood, with imprisonment, discrimination, inequality, repression, exploitation, exile, and family separation. The youth face a future without hope, in poverty and blackouts, while the elite enjoys a life of luxury," he concluded.
Understanding the Cuban Exodus: Key Questions and Answers
What did Díaz-Canel say about young Cubans emigrating?
Díaz-Canel blamed capitalism for enticing young Cubans away by purchasing their talents, which were developed through free education in Cuba.
Why has Díaz-Canel's speech sparked controversy?
His remarks were seen as hypocritical because his stepson studies at an expensive private university in Madrid, highlighting a double standard within Cuba's ruling elite.
How do Cubans view the concept of free education?
Many Cubans argue that education is not truly free, as they pay for it through years of low-wage labor and other sacrifices.