TV Yurumí, the state-run television station in Matanzas, recently made a blunder on social media by posting about the 19th-century Cuban doctor, Juan Calixto Oxamendi Deprez, featuring an image of British actor Anthony Hopkins instead of the physician's portrait. "Recognized as one of the greats in Cuban medicine, Matanzas-born Juan Calixto Oxamendi should be remembered on the 195th anniversary of his birth," stated TV Yurumí in a post that mistakenly presented Hopkins' image alongside the renowned doctor.
The post quickly drew numerous comments, prompting the official media outlet to correct the error and replace the image with the proper portrait of Oxamendi. However, the mishap had already gone viral, sparking widespread memes and sarcastic remarks across social media.
Images and animations of Hopkins' famous character in "The Silence of the Lambs," the serial killer Hannibal Lecter, were not far behind. "This killed me. Hannibal Lecter ate their brains. Oh my God, they need to stop!" exclaimed a Facebook user in response to a post by journalist Ernesto Morales.
Another user jokingly remarked, "Yes, that Cuban doctor also healed Zorro's wounds in the adventures I watched as a child," referring to Hopkins' role as Don Diego de la Vega in "The Mask of Zorro." "I didn't know Anthony Hopkins had a twin in Cuba who was a doctor in Matanzas. Cuban TV and journalists are out of their league, they're out of control," commented another online user about the monumental blunder.
"That Matanzas TV station is unrivaled in producing meme content. Instead of being 'journalists,' they should join the Center for the Promotion of Humor. They would definitely win 10 or 12 Aquelarre Festivals in a row!" stated another social media commenter.
Legacy of Juan Calixto Oxamendi Deprez
Oxamendi Deprez was born in Matanzas on October 14, 1829. He was educated at the Colegio San Cristóbal de Carraguao in Havana, earning a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Havana in 1847. He pursued medical studies at the University of Madrid, where he received a Licentiate in Medicine, and later earned a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Paris with his thesis 'De l’emploi des purgatifs en Medecine' (On the Use of Laxatives in Medicine, 1856).
Upon returning to Cuba, he practiced medicine and taught, revalidating his degree. He was a founding member of the Royal Academy of Medical, Physical, and Natural Sciences of Havana in 1861. His research resulted in specialized articles with intriguing titles that sound like they could have come from the notebook of the "continuity" leader, Dr. Miguel Díaz-Canel.
Among his works are "Memoir on the Distilled Water of Bitter Cassava Leaves, Which Can Replace the Commonly Used Cherry Laurel Water Imported from Europe" (1870); "Distilled Water from the Seed of the Mamey Sapote" (1871); "Vesicant Cardol (on the Properties of the Cashew Seed)" (1871); "On the Resin of Guaguasí and its Physiological and Therapeutic Properties" (1881); and "Indications of the Therapeutic Properties of Peanuts" (1881).