Lis Cuesta Peraza, the spouse of Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and often referred to as Cuba's "non-first lady," made headlines once again on Monday. She arrived in Honduras alongside the president for an official visit to attend Xiomara Castro's inauguration as the new pro tempore president of CELAC. While the diplomatic nature of the trip was significant, it was Cuesta Peraza's choice of accessory that drew the most attention: a pair of designer sunglasses from the luxury Italian brand Gucci. These "Square Acetate and Metal Sunglasses" are priced at approximately 300 euros, a figure that is more than seven times the monthly minimum wage in Cuba.
To this price, one would need to add the cost of fitting polarized prescription lenses, like the ones Cuesta Peraza was seen wearing in Tegucigalpa, which could tack on another 500 euros. As she descended from the private jet, the darkening lenses of her opulent eyewear were on full display.
The image of Cuesta Peraza, smiling and flaunting her pricey designer glasses, quickly went viral on social media and independent news outlets. This sparked outrage among users, including @Taoro8, who pointed out, "Cuba proudly shows the world its latest batch of communists addicted to the luxury brands of savage capitalism."
In a nation where the majority of people can barely afford basic necessities like bread, coffee, or medicine, the luxury adorned by the so-called "non-first lady" has reignited the debate over the cynicism of Cuba’s ruling elite.
In February 2023, Cuesta Peraza wrote, "Yes, I am a communist! So what? Is it a utopia, is socialism still being built, will I not see it? So what?! Better to think and fight for EVERYONE than in selfish terms. And that is communism. I celebrate the Communist Manifesto," commemorating the 175th anniversary of Marx and Engels' text.
The Hypocrisy of Luxury in Cuban Leadership
The contradiction is stark: while the regime's official rhetoric emphasizes the necessity of "creative resistance" and calls on the population to "sacrifice heroically" for socialism's sake, its leaders are enveloped in capitalist luxuries.
The government’s propaganda promotes a Cuba of equality, austerity, and revolutionary principles. Yet, the reality displayed by its close associates reveals a model of classist privileges unattainable for the majority.
Cuesta Peraza is no stranger to controversy for her extravagant tastes. In February 2025, during an international congress in Havana on "sustainable human development," she was spotted wearing an Aigner watch valued at 549 euros. Previously, in December 2022, while defending her doctoral thesis on "Pedagogical Model for Exporting Academic Services at the Paradiso Agency," the Ministry of Culture (MINCULT) event organizer sported a Cartier watch, priced between 5,000 and 12,000 dollars, depending on the model.
Luxury Watches and Opulent Cigars: Díaz-Canel's Taste for the Finer Things
Miguel Díaz-Canel has also been at the center of scandals for his penchant for high-end accessories. In August 2024, the leader appointed by Raúl Castro was photographed with a Rolex GMT Master II on his wrist as he welcomed the Cuban delegation returning from the Paris Olympics, a watch valued at around 13,000 dollars. Years earlier, during a 2019 visit to Santiago de Cuba, he wore a TAG Heuer watch worth 1,750 dollars, another imported luxury difficult to justify from his "perfected socialism" platform.
More recently, in March 2025, Díaz-Canel was caught at the XXV Habano Festival, one of the country's most elite events, lighting a cigar during a charity auction that raised over 4.6 million euros. What was the regime's top representative doing at a luxury event aimed at wealthy foreigners while even popular cigars are scarce on the island?
Privileged Lifestyle of the "Non-First Family"
The privileged lifestyle isn't limited to the presidential couple. Manuel Anido Cuesta, son of Cuesta Peraza and stepson and alleged "advisor" to Díaz-Canel, has become a media figure in Spain due to his relationship with actress Ana de Armas and his lavish lifestyle.
In November 2024, he was seen in Madrid sporting an outfit valued at around 3,000 dollars, featuring a Moncler jacket priced at 1,950 euros and Zegna deer leather sneakers at 966 euros. The young man resides in an exclusive neighborhood of the Spanish capital, frequents luxury restaurants—like Numa Pompilio in the Salamanca district—and has been photographed with the actress during getaways through Italy, staying at luxury hotels such as Casa Maria Luigia in Modena.
The Stark Contrast: Cuban Poverty and Political Misery
While Cuba's "royal family" flaunts Swiss watches, Italian sunglasses, and dines at five-star restaurants, millions of Cubans face chronic shortages of food, medicine, transportation, and basic services. Inflation, the devaluation of the Cuban peso, and the increasing dollarization of the economy have further impoverished citizens, forcing many to emigrate or rely on remittances to survive.
Instead of taking responsibility for the economic collapse, the regime blames external factors—such as the U.S. embargo—and continues to promote an epic rhetoric of resistance.
While Díaz-Canel calls for filling squares to celebrate the "resistance of the people" and other communist propaganda slogans, the sacrifice demanded of the nation does not seem to apply to regime "heirs" like Sandro Castro, or to those holding high positions in the power structure of the so-called "continuity."
Unapologetic Hypocrisy
The episode of the Gucci sunglasses is not merely a fashion misstep. It is, in itself, a political statement. It serves as further evidence that power in Cuba has morphed into a "revolutionary aristocracy," with access to luxury brands, travel, and privileges that starkly contrast with the everyday hardships of the populace.
This normalization of luxury in the leaders' discourse and image demonstrates a complete disconnection between the communist leaders and the national reality. It is no longer just cynicism: it is an insult. It's gazing into the camera with 300-euro sunglasses and smiling while millions wait in line to purchase a package of chicken or a fever pill. How much longer?
Cuesta Peraza's landing in Honduras, donning Gucci glasses and an aloof smile, is a perfect snapshot of the current Cuban political climate: leaders shielded by privilege, masking a deeply capitalist and exclusive power structure with socialist rhetoric.
Life's ironies: while Cuesta Peraza proclaimed her fervent communism in 2023 and declared, like a sacrificial martyr, that she might not "see socialism," what she does manage to clearly visualize—with luxury clarity—is the reflection of a power shielded by privileges. She does so behind the darkened lenses of nearly 300-euro Gucci glasses, which not only filter the sun but also the Cuban people's reality, condemned to an imposed blindness by their leaders' hypocritical discourse.
Perhaps, in the end, what Cuesta Peraza prefers not to see is her husband's "perfected socialism," and the indignation her clan's ostentation causes among the people, for which she chooses the best-polarized lenses on the market.
While they insist on "perfecting socialism," the regime's "oligarchs" also perfect the art of disconnection, ostentation, and hypocrisy. And once again, the Cuban people foot the bill, wondering, "How much longer?”
Frequently Asked Questions About Cuba's Leadership and Luxury
Why did Lis Cuesta's Gucci sunglasses cause such an uproar?
The sunglasses highlighted the disparity between the Cuban elite's luxurious lifestyle and the daily struggles of ordinary Cuban citizens, who face shortages of basic goods.
What does the term "non-first lady" imply in the context of Cuba?
"Non-first lady" refers to Lis Cuesta's unofficial status, as Cuba does not have a formal role for the spouse of the president, unlike many other countries.
How does the Cuban regime justify luxury among its leaders?
The regime often deflects criticism by blaming external factors like the U.S. embargo while promoting a narrative of resistance, despite the evident opulence among its leaders.