Sandro Castro responds about José Daniel Ferrer: This is what the dictator's grandson said about the opposition leader

The Cuban businessman and influencer Sandro Castro, grandson of the late dictator Fidel Castro, sparked controversy again this weekend by referring for the first time to the opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer García, head of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), who was recently exiled to the United States by the Havana regime.

Through his stories on Instagram, Sandro shared a photograph of himself wearing sunglasses and a suit, accompanied by a follower's question: “What do you think about what happened with José Daniel Ferrer?”. His response was surprising for its unusually poetic tone: “A man with his perspectives, his ideals, his way of thinking. I would give him a white rose.”

The phrase refers to the poem “I cultivate a white rose,” by José Martí, symbol of reconciliation and peace that Ferrer —currently exiled in Miami— has mentioned as an emblem of his non-violent struggle against the Cuban dictatorship.

Without referring to the political imprisonment of the opposition figure, the brutal repression he has suffered for more than 20 years, the beatings, physical and psychological tortures he has endured, or to the cause of freedom that has fueled activism and inspired Ferrer's courage, the grandson of the founder of the Cuban totalitarian regime expressed respect for his ideals and quoted Martí in an ambiguous manner, not without controversy, but without raising his usual circus tent.

The reference to the Martí poem can be understood as a gesture of respect or acknowledgment towards Ferrer, but also as a display of forgiveness and compassion, which, emulating the spirit of the Apostle, offers peace and dialogue to the enemy.

However, when it comes to Sandro Castro, a privileged "heir" with evident ties to State Security and other branches of the regime's power, it is not out of the question that his response is yet another display of his desire to provoke, or one of his many antics adorned with cynicism.

In recent months, Sandro has ventured into commenting on sensitive topics such as power outages, food shortages, or the deterioration of the water supply system, but always from the perspective of a privileged individual, with a mocking tone and lacking empathy for the majority of Cubans.

While Ferrer denounces the repression and torture of the regime that governs his country, the grandson of the one who established that system navigates through frivolity, parties, and his attempts to attract or divert the attention of Cubans.

The truth is that the contrast between both characters and Sandro's frivolity when referring to Ferrer has been insulting to many who believe that the message of the "white rose," rather than a gesture of peace, seems more like an attempt to appropriate Marti's symbolism from the comfort of inherited power.