Díaz-Canel’s Volunteer Efforts Met with Criticism, Dubbed ‘A Circus’ by Cubans

Dozens of Cubans attacked Miguel Diaz-Canel this Sunday upon seeing photographs of him doing volunteer work in agriculture.

The official portal Cubadebate shared photos of the ruler working in a corn field on his Facebook page, which many people criticized as false, ridiculous, and disrespectful to real farmers.

According to the publication, the ruler participated in a volunteer work event early in the morning along with over a hundred workers from the Party’s offices, in celebration of Girón’s victory.

“The president’s role is not to volunteer in the field, but to govern the country, develop its economy, and lead effectively. The photo in the field is outdated and a waste of time when the focus should be on improving the economy,” said a Cuban from Kentucky.

“If the people have to rely on the president’s voluntary work, we will end up starving,” said a resident of Havana.

“It’s a circus for the photo, he doesn’t even get his hands dirty. Look at the way he handles the hoe and his clean clothes, it’s disgraceful and embarrassing. I’m 80 years old and I’ve never seen a worse government in Cuba,” said an elderly woman.

“These actions only create discomfort for the majority of the people with at least some common sense, as we Cubans say. Show a bit of respect for our intelligence. Don’t make us a laughingstock in the world. Who cares? Is this really necessary? What is the actual situation in Cuba, the discomfort caused by the numerous needs and shortages that are too many to list, and they come up and do this. I guess it’s to stir up controversy, entertain us, and divert attention,” said a freelance worker.

“Wow, thanks to our leaders, we’ll have corn for the summer,” mocked a young man.

“And the state-owned lands remain unused and unproductive. They fail to do what they are supposed to and instead promote this charade of volunteer work,” questioned a resident of Havana.

“What a show, after the photo-op, he probably rushes back to his car with air conditioning before the sun gets too harsh. It’s all just a facade,” said a homeowner.

“He looks too clean for someone who worked in the fields. I don’t see a single drop of sweat on him, no sign of him carrying a sack… In short, the photos are carefully staged to capture his best angle,” said a woman from Havana.