Armando Tomey Criticizes Díaz-Canel as "A Mule with Fangs"

Renowned Cuban actor Armando Tomey has launched a scathing attack on Miguel Díaz-Canel, labeling him as "a mule with fangs." Tomey denounced Díaz-Canel's attempts to portray the Cuban populace as willing to take up arms in defense of the regime amid widespread hunger, poverty, and the island’s deepening crisis.

"They stole the homeland and dignity from the people, and now 'the mule with fangs' wants them to defend their hunger, misery, and pain," Tomey wrote, sharing a video on social media where he fiercely criticized the Cuban leader.

In his address, Tomey referenced a historical phrase attributed to Rubén Martínez Villena against dictator Gerardo Machado: "Villena called Machado a clawed donkey. What would he call this handpicked president, this utopian leader of Cuba? A mule with fangs," he remarked.

Examining the Revolution's Legacy

The actor devoted a significant portion of his speech to questioning the historical impact of the Cuban revolution.

Tomey claimed that the presidents who led the country from 1902 to 1959 were responsible for fewer deaths and disappearances than the regime established by Fidel Castro. He cited post-1959 executions, Cubans who perished attempting to flee by sea, victims of the "13 de Marzo" tugboat incident, and casualties from Cuba’s military intervention in Angola as evidence.

He also referenced the death of dissident Oswaldo Payá, labeling it as an assassination disguised as an accident. This accusation has been maintained for years by Payá’s family and opposition figures, while Cuban authorities insist it was a car accident.

Challenging the Call to Arms

Tomey's most forceful moment came when he denounced Díaz-Canel's repeated rhetoric about the Cuban people's readiness to fight and defend the revolution.

"Now this mule with fangs claims the people are ready to grab rifles and defend the nation. Let him defend it alongside Silvio Rodríguez, what a mess!" he exclaimed, referring to Díaz-Canel's "War of All the People" doctrine.

In May, Díaz-Canel asserted that "every Cuban has a rifle" and a duty to protect "the homeland, the revolution, and socialism."

Tomey’s mention of Rodríguez was deliberate. The musician received an AKM rifle in March at an official event after publicly requesting a weapon in case of potential U.S. intervention. The Revolutionary Armed Forces Ministry acknowledged him for his willingness to defend the nation.

Tomey contrasted this militaristic rhetoric with the material struggles faced by most Cubans: "Let them take up arms, the owners of Cuba, the owners of properties, the owners of wealth. The people don’t need to pick up rifles to defend them," he asserted.

He went further, saying, "If the people take up rifles, it’s to fight against them," concluding his message with an insult directed at the governing elite.

Continuing Criticism of the Regime

This recent outburst is part of a series of critical statements from Tomey throughout 2026.

On August 1, he urged Cubans to adopt peaceful resistance strategies and argued that they couldn’t wait for Donald Trump or other external forces to resolve the island’s future.

The day before, he described the persistent pain felt by many Cuban emigrants as "irreversible neurocastrism" when thinking about their homeland’s plight.

In that speech, Tomey directly addressed Díaz-Canel, demanding he allow Cuba to "forge its own destiny."

Just days earlier, on July 24, Tomey had dismantled Díaz-Canel's notion of a "Cuban utopia," calling him a "puppet, clown, and bully."

Earlier in July, he asked, "And when is it Cuba’s turn?" and in March, he highlighted how Cuba "suffers from misery and repression while crying out for freedom."

Since emigrating to the United States in 2013, Tomey, known for his roles in Cuban television series like Sol de Batey, has turned his social media into a platform for increasingly direct criticism of the regime, particularly targeting Díaz-Canel.