Three months have passed since Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel unexpectedly appeared with his arm in a cast. Now, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz has made a similar appearance on Cuban Television, sporting an identical injury. Marrero Cruz, who had been absent from the regime's official media since his unsuccessful attempt to address the country's "energy emergency," participated in a videoconference during the National Defense Council meeting on Friday afternoon.
A report from the National Television News (NTV) highlighted Díaz-Canel's call to "intensify efforts in repairing homes damaged by hurricanes Oscar and Rafael and the earthquakes that struck eastern Cuba." At the end of the broadcast, cameras captured the prime minister with his left arm in a cast, appearing via videoconference.
Marrero Cruz "praised the efforts of state authorities and institutions to restore normalcy to the affected provinces." According to journalist Héctor Martínez, the prime minister stated that this is "something the people appreciate and are grateful for." However, the cause of Marrero Cruz's arm injury remains undisclosed by official media and the prime minister himself.
Back in late August, Díaz-Canel used his social media platforms to inform the public about his arm immobilization due to "severe discomfort." He expressed gratitude to those concerned about his recovery. "Thank you to everyone who has shown concern for my arm in a sling and to the excellent medical team that resolved the severe shoulder discomfort," the leader posted on his X account.
He further explained that his right arm was "temporarily immobilized," but reassured that "the left arm is fully functional, just like the rest of the body. Bold and determined, for the country." For weeks, Díaz-Canel was seen "bold and determined" with his arm in a sling as the nation faced a deepening energy crisis and a near-total collapse of its electrical infrastructure.
Currently, it is Marrero Cruz who appears before the Cuban public with an injured arm, seen on a screen within a screen—a sequence relegated to the end of the official media report. Back in mid-July, the prime minister had addressed the National Assembly of People's Power, an entity that canceled the "accountability assemblies of delegates to their constituents" due to the energy crisis.
"We are not sitting idly by," Marrero Cruz claimed during his "report on the government's projections to correct distortions and boost the economy in the first half of 2024." However, he admitted that "the results so far do not reflect the change demanded by the population," insisting they were not "sitting idly by."
A month later, it became apparent that the Cuban government's actions were yielding no significant results, despite their efforts. Marrero Cruz's television appearance was unsuccessful, the country's electrical system collapsed, and the prime minister vanished from the news radar until this Saturday, when he was seen (but not heard) with an arm in a cast.