Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Cuba's permanent representative to the United Nations, became the center of online amusement this past Saturday. During an interview with CBS News correspondent Matt Gutman, it wasn't his diplomatic message that captured attention, but rather his English pronunciation.
The ambassador shared the interview clip on Twitter, aiming to highlight the Cuban regime's stance against Washington's sanctions. Yet, users were more focused on his English skills, which quickly turned into a subject of ridicule and drew comparisons to the notorious language blunders of President Miguel Díaz-Canel.
A particularly popular comment on social media was, "He had the same teacher as Díaz-Canel."
In the video, Soberón stated, "The Cuban people is suffering a collective punishment. This is the only way that I can describe what my people is suffering right now." His grammatical error—using "is suffering" instead of the correct "are suffering," twice in a matter of seconds—did not go unnoticed by English speakers.
The ambassador further claimed, "Our main challenge today is the lack of oil. And the lack of oil is a direct result of the executive order signed by President Trump on January 29, 2026," thus attributing the island's energy crisis to the executive order that declared a national emergency regarding Cuba and imposed punitive tariffs on countries selling oil to it.
Comparisons with Díaz-Canel are well-documented. In December 2022, during a visit to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the president's pronunciation of "love" was transcribed by Cubans as "loss" or "lost," sparking a flurry of memes within hours.
Months later, in August 2023, Díaz-Canel was mocked again during a ceremony in Namibia for using "resist" instead of "receive," prompting another wave of online jesting.
This latest interview is part of Soberón's extensive media campaign throughout 2026 with major U.S. outlets like Bloomberg, The New York Times, Fox News, and Agence France-Presse, consistently arguing that Washington's sanctions are a collective punishment on the Cuban people.
What the diplomat consistently omits is that the island's energy crisis is due to 67 years of dictatorial management, not external pressure measures. Cuba has long relied on oil subsidies from allies like Venezuela, a structural dependency that no executive order established.
This isn't Soberón's first controversial moment in 2026. In July, he called the Israeli representative "shameless" during a General Assembly debate on the embargo against Cuba, and in May, he told The New York Times that Havana was willing to negotiate "everything" with the United States, without any taboo topics.
The irony of Saturday's episode is that the Cuban regime sends its leading spokesperson to defend its cause in English before an American audience, only for the effort to become a source of mockery rather than persuasion.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cuban Diplomacy and Language Blunders
Why did Ernesto Soberón's interview gain so much attention?
The interview gained attention not for its diplomatic content but because of Soberón's English pronunciation errors, which quickly became a subject of social media ridicule.
How does the energy crisis in Cuba relate to U.S. sanctions?
The Cuban government blames U.S. sanctions for the energy crisis, but the reality is that decades of mismanagement and dependency on oil subsidies from allies like Venezuela are the main causes.
What are some notable language blunders by Cuban officials?
Aside from Soberón's recent errors, President Miguel Díaz-Canel has been mocked for mispronouncing words like "love" and confusing "resist" with "receive," leading to widespread meme creation.