In another of his controversial appearances on social media, Sandro Castro —grandson of the dictator Fidel Castro— resurfaced this Saturday with a message directed at Cuban mothers.
Sitting on a pallet that someone was dragging on a pallet jack or forklift, wandering through the deserted streets of the exclusive neighborhood where he lives (possibly Siboney), in athletic wear and with two Cristal beers in hand, Sandro improvised a sort of toast.
“The god of Cristach. And when I say 'viva', you all say 'tortillach'. I want to let you know that this week I’ll be posting some reels and also a little dance with a melodic twist from a song I created. And starting today, I want to congratulate all the mothers of Cuba. And may you all enjoy plenty of Cristach,” said the guanajo of the moment.
His intervention is not a spontaneous or isolated gesture. It is part of a series of prior "congratulations" directed at various sectors of Cuban society, all characterized by the same eccentric, self-satisfied, and disconnected tone.
On March 8th, International Women's Day, he posted a video in which he stated: “I am under the moonlight with three mutants who fell from Earth, who are giving me connectivity today especially, internationally, to congratulate women.”
He added: "Those damn little animals, tarantulas, snakes, owls, happy and sadistic toxic creatures," referring to a trio of young girls who accompanied him in the video, in a submissive and accommodating attitude towards the "vampire" of the EFE bar and "king of the Havana night."
On April 4th, on the occasion of Student Day, he published another "greeting" to Cuban youth, exclaiming: “We are equality!... United and prepared, young people overcome difficulties... Happy Student Day.” Once again, beer and alcohol guided the content in a video where the phrase "we are equality" echoed painfully.
Also on May 1st, during the parade for International Workers' Day in Havana, Sandro recorded himself holding a bottle of Cristal, amidst shouts and noise, saying: “Radio Vampiro broadcasts! Long live May 1st! Here’s the vampirach with the Cristach!”, once again mocking those who, tired of his antics and regime propaganda, expressed on social media that Sandro Castro should attend the parade.
Birth privileges
Sandro is the son of Alexis Castro Soto del Valle —the eldest of the five children that Castro had with Dalia Soto del Valle— and Rebeca Arteaga Moras.
Born on December 5, 1991, he spent part of his childhood in Punto Cero, the residential enclave reserved for the Castro elite. His mother later moved to the exclusive Náutico neighborhood in Playa.
Unlike her, Sandro has turned his private life into a public spectacle, with sports cars, yacht parties, and videos that border on the absurd.
Crystal for everyone?
By asking Cuban mothers to "drink a lot of Cristach," Sandro ignores or turns a blind eye to the harsh economic reality that millions of women on the island face. A can of Cristal beer costs between 0.92 and 1.05 USD in online stores that sell to Cuba, an unattainable luxury for mothers who, in many cases, barely have enough for breakfast.
A recent report from the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights revealed that 89% of Cuban families live in extreme poverty. Seven out of ten people have had to skip a meal due to a lack of resources. For many mothers, the daily struggle consists of finding food, medicine, or how to send their children to school.
Stories compiled by CiberCuba highlight this situation: mothers sleeping with their children in dilapidated hospitals, selling belongings to buy milk, or reporting the lack of state support. The gap between these testimonies and the world in which Sandro Castro resides is as profound as it is painful.
A mockery dressed as a toast
Far from being a message of encouragement, Sandro Castro's "congratulation" is a new provocation. More than a tribute, it is a frivolous and empty gesture, disconnected from the real needs of Cuban mothers. His figure, marked by ostentation and inherited impunity, is the antithesis of a motherhood sacrificed and battered by the crisis.
In the land of shortages, where being a mother is an act of resistance, the fact that the grandson of the dictator who imposed a totalitarian regime invites one to toast with Cristal beer sounds more like the mockery of a mind rotted by alcohol and drugs than a sincere expression of admiration and gratitude.
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