Lucía Céspedes Ocampo, a Cuban living abroad who previously stirred controversy with her vocal support for the Cuban regime in Spain, has reappeared this week on Cuba's National Television News (NTV). During Miguel Díaz-Canel's visit to the La Timba neighborhood, she publicly expressed her allegiance to the regime and thanked the leader on camera.
The report, broadcasted by Canal Caribe on Facebook and authored by journalist Wilmer Rodríguez Fernández, features Céspedes Ocampo in the dining area of the Family Support System (SAF) in the neighborhood during the presidential tour. The news segment describes her merely as a "young Cuban residing abroad," without disclosing her identity. However, it is indeed Céspedes Ocampo, who is known for her previous public endorsements of the so-called "continuity" government.
In her fervent on-camera remarks, she proclaimed, "We are from El Cerro, but we will also support this SAF because every Cuban today must stand with the people of Cuba, and we will all prevail. Thank you for what you are doing. I live in France, in Guadalupe."
The Context of Díaz-Canel's Visit
Díaz-Canel's visit was part of the "My Neighborhood for the Homeland" initiative, a project by the National Assembly of People's Power in collaboration with youth, political, and mass organizations. This program is portrayed by the regime as a tool for community transformation. La Timba is a popular neighborhood in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality, home to approximately 5,000 residents.
Céspedes Ocampo's appearance aligns with a documented strategy by the regime: featuring members of the diaspora who express support for the government in official media to project an image of transnational popular backing, countering the predominantly opposition narrative of the exile community.
Previous Incidents and Public Reactions
Lucía Céspedes Ocampo has been involved in similar episodes before. In 2026, she went viral in April for shouting "Long live my president Díaz-Canel" and labeling the Cuban exile community as "traitors, crawling worms, bomb throwers, and Yankee bootlickers."
Weeks later, Céspedes Ocampo urged people to sign the official campaign "My Signature for the Homeland," and by June, she was defending the 176 economic transformation measures approved by the regime, all while residing in Spain.
Criticism and Economic Realities
Critics highlight the contradiction: these individuals defend Cuban socialism while living in capitalist countries, often using money earned abroad to compensate for shortages that the Cuban state cannot address.
This use of expatriate Cubans for propaganda comes amid one of the worst economic crises in decades on the island. A survey by the Food Monitor Program revealed that nearly one in three Cuban households reported someone going to bed hungry in the previous 30 days as of May.
Between 2021 and 2025, over 700,000 Cubans emigrated, a figure that contradicts the image of popular support the regime aims to project with appearances like the recent one in La Timba.
Understanding the Cuban Diaspora's Role in Propaganda
Why does the Cuban regime feature diaspora members in state media?
The Cuban regime uses diaspora members in state media to create an image of international support, contrasting the opposition narrative of the exile community by showcasing transnational backing for the government.
What is the "My Neighborhood for the Homeland" initiative?
The "My Neighborhood for the Homeland" initiative is a government project in Cuba aimed at community transformation, involving the National Assembly of People's Power and various organizations to promote social change at the local level.
How has the Cuban economic crisis affected local households?
The economic crisis in Cuba has severely impacted local households, with a significant number of families experiencing food insecurity, as reported by the Food Monitor Program, which found that many Cubans went to bed hungry during the crisis.