Children of Díaz-Canel and Lis Cuesta: who is who in the family of Cuban power

The family of Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez does not fit into the Castro mold of decades without a visible "first lady": his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza travels in delegations, organizes cultural events and publishes in X; his stepson Manuel Anido Cuesta appears in the Vatican, Iran and the Emirates with luxury briefcases, studies taxation at a private university in Madrid and was included in June 2026 on the sanctioned list of the United States' OFAC. The president's biological children—Jenny and Miguel—lead the band D'Cuba with institutional support, but almost no streaming presence. And a second son of Lis, the alleged father of twin girls announced by the president, remains unnamed in the serious press.

This report synthesizes marriages, ages, studies, jobs, social networks and contradictions documented in independent Cuban media, international press and partial official sources. Where there is no proof, we indicate it.

Family map: four children, zero in common

Jenny Díaz-Canel Villanueva (1989)

Born on November 2, 1989, Jenny is the eldest daughter of Díaz-Canel's marriage to the dentist Marta Villanueva (Villa Clara). She graduated in Foreign Languages at the Enrique José Varona Higher Pedagogical Institute, according to her own Facebook profile cited by CiberCuba in 2018, where she identified herself only as «Jenny Díaz».

Her public career is musical. She first joined Polaroid, a new trova quartet nominated for Cubadisco 2016 with the album Ágora (Bis Music label), where she appeared as a percussionist alongside Juan Carlos Suárez and his brother Miguel — credited on the album as "Miguel and Jenny Díaz" (Cubanet). After the dissolution of the group, she co-founded D'Cuba with Miguel in January 2017.

Jenny does not appear in diplomatic delegations or in political positions. Her footprint on Instagram, Spotify or YouTube is practically zero; the dissemination occurs via state media and universities (University of Camagüey, 2022). There are no children or partners documented in the verified press.

Miguel Díaz-Canel Villanueva — “Miguel DeCuba” (1993)

Born on September 6, 1993, Miguel studied Plastic Arts at the San Alejandro Academy and trained in guitar since he was a child (CiberCuba). Some Spanish media erroneously presented him as a Law graduate after confusing him with Manuel during the visit to the Vatican (El Mundo); His verified career is artistic, not legal.

D'Cuba: awards, privileges and criticism

D'Cuba won the Lucas 2018 Award for best pop-rock video for Vuelos, directed by Asiel Babastro — who years later made Patria y Vida. The filming closed the Bacunayagua bridge and used drones, scarce resources for artists without a last name (CiberCuba). A second clip, Amarte, arrived in 2018 (Portal del Videoclip Cubano).

The band, a member of the Asociación Hermanos Saíz, performed at the Fábrica de Arte Cubano, Gibara, Camagüey, Nuevitas and the Piña Colada festival in Ciego de Ávila — where a provincial official wrote that he had known “Miguelito” since he was a child (Cubitanow). He also participated in events linked to Cuba Sabe, organized by Lis Cuesta (Noticias Cuba).

«He is almost nowhere to be found with his songs or followers.»

11J, couple and son

After the protests of July 11, 2021, Miguel published explicit support for his father on Facebook: «Revolutionaries to the streets», «Pa' qué sea pipo», «PATRIA O MUERTE» (CiberCuba). Babastro responded by reproaching him for his repressive speech despite knowing him personally.

Since at least 2018 he has been linked to Tania López Pantaleón; Both showed on Facebook photos of a couple, vacations on a boat and a baby that would make Díaz-Canel a grandfather along those lines (Milenio). The child's name is not publicly verified.

In August 2025 he traveled with the Cuban delegation to Venezuela and sang in Caracas for "Cuban collaborators" in an event with a marked political tone (CiberCuba) — signal of the biological son's approach to the diplomatic orbit, no only cultural.

Manuel Anido Cuesta (1997): the stepson in the hard core

Manuel was born on November 3, 1997 in Holguín, son of Lis and the university professor José Anido Pérez. He graduated in Law at the University of Havana in July 2019 with Díaz-Canel and Lis in the front row of the Aula Magna (CiberCuba).

He does not hold an official position in the Cuban Government (Infobae), but since 2018 it has appeared in delegations to Ireland, the Vatican (June 2023), the Emirates, Russia, Iran and New York. Díaz-Canel presented him to Pope Francis joking: «It's the opposition in the family» (CiberCuba).

Luxury, Madrid and Ana de Armas

On tours in the Middle East he was photographed with a Montblanc briefcase valued at around 1,385 dollars (CiberCuba / Inventory Project). He resides in Madrid with a student visa in the National Taxation program of IE University (more than €12,300 in tuition, not counting maintenance), according to Martí Noticias.

In November 2024 HOLA! published photos of himself kissing with the actress Ana de Armas in the Salamanca neighborhood. The relationship ended around May 2025 (People). Before, he was with Daciela Rossié Prieto (2014–2017), a civil engineer who graduated from CUJAE, whose photos were on Facebook (CiberCuba).

His few public appearances in text include comments on Cubadebate in 2014 and 2019 celebrating the “Five Heroes” and the Revolution (CiberCuba). Does not have verifiable LinkedIn; Opposition media cited profiles that turned out to be homonymous.

OFAC Sanctions (June 4, 2026)

The US Treasury Department included Manuel on the SDN list along with Díaz-Canel, Lis and figures from the regime, in the third round under executive order 14404 (CiberCuba). The designation blocks assets under US jurisdiction and prohibits transactions with US citizens and companies — a striking case because the sanctioned person resided in European territory.

The “ghost” son of Lis Cuesta

Sources such as BBC Mundo and Periódico Cubano talk about two sons of Lis from previous marriages. Only Manuel is fully identified. The other maintains total opacity: without name, studies, work or networks in the serious press.

In November 2024, Díaz-Canel announced his granddaughters Alma and Alis on X. The independent press attributes the birth to Lis's second son, not to Manuel (CiberCuba). In the presidential photo, the background of the hospital appeared blurred, hiding conditions of childbirth in the midst of the Cuban health crisis.

Extended family network: Miramar and uncle's LinkedIn

Manuel's maternal grandmother, Alida J. Peraza Valdivia, moved in 2023 to Miramar (calle 30 #308) in the home of her son David Cuesta Peraza, an anesthesiologist at MINSAP with an active profile on LinkedIn (CiberCuba). Lis publishes as @liscuestacuba on X since 2022 (Martí Noticias).

The biological mother of Díaz-Canel's children, dentist Marta Villanueva, remains out of the public spotlight after the divorce when the president was sent to Holguín (~2003). Díaz-Canel then met Lis, also married and mother of two children (BBC).

Nepotism: three speeds in the same family

Manuel concentrates soft power: official trips, visible luxury, studies abroad and sanctions for proximity to the core. Miguel combines culture with symbolic politics (11J, Venezuela). Jenny shares the band but avoids the diplomatic scene. Lis's second son embodies elitist opacity: existence recognized only when it suits the family story (granddaughters), identity protected the rest of the time.

None of the four holds – as far as is known – an elected or ministerial position. All of them, however, have access to stages, visas, universities or festivals that millions of Cubans cannot afford. That asymmetry, more than D'Cuba's talent or Manuel's title, is the political axis of this family in 2026.