Sandro Castro, the grandson of dictator Fidel Castro, a prominent figure in Havana's nightlife and owner of several entertainment venues in the capital, marked two years of being in a relationship with his partner, receiving a wave of criticism on social media for the insensitive display of his lavish lifestyle.
“Happy to have spent 2 years by your side. I love you with my (heart symbol) and I want you to always be present in my life,” expressed the controversial young member of the Castro family on Instagram, congratulating his partner, veterinary medicine student Laura Daniela Álvarez, for putting up with him for 730 days.
The post on Friday was accompanied by two photographs showing the couple celebrating in the yard of a mansion with a swimming pool, pink flamingos, and lush vegetation surrounding it, reminiscent of the luxurious mansions in the Havana neighborhood of Siboney, where the diplomatic corps and the highest officials of the regime reside.
The image of ostentation and frivolity, so typical of the children of the Cuban regime's elite, sparked outrage and rejection from many Cubans on social media. In the context of the country's systemic crisis, with no electricity, no water, and no food, the dictator's grandson couldn’t have chosen a worse moment to celebrate his anniversary by showcasing his lavish lifestyle.
"While thousands of citizens have lost their food due to power outages. While repressive mega-devices are being deployed against the population: Sandro Castro, as usual, is enjoying the benefits. To those who still defend the olive-green elite, there you have it!" expressed Cuban activist Leonardo Fernández Otaño via Twitter.
"How many hours of blackout will Sandrito have?" wondered the former moderator of the Archipiélago platform and organizer of the Civic March for Change in Cuba.
Journalist Mario J. Pentón also shared one of Sandro's photographs and stated, "While the Cuban people have been without electricity, water, or food for three days, one of Fidel Castro's grandchildren flaunts his lavish lifestyle on Instagram. This elite class does not care about the suffering of the people. They are wealthy at the expense of 11 million Cubans," he said in a message tagged #CubaPaLaCalle.
"Whenever something happens, they always do the same thing; it seems like a distraction mechanism," commented a Cuban Twitter user, highlighting a hypothesis shared by many that these messages, much like those from Lis Cuesta, are part of the regime's strategy to divert attention from issues that inflame public opinion, such as the collapse of the electrical system that has left the vast majority of Cubans without electricity in their homes for over 48 hours.
The emergence of Sandro Castro Arteaga leading a "caravan of entrepreneurs" that traveled to Matanzas to provide aid to those in need after the fire at the Supertankers Base is an example of this. "This is the height of shamelessness and cynicism," commented activist Norges Rodríguez on the initiative.
"He was promoting activities at his bar EFE today. Apparently, there is electricity; therefore, we should go there and take that spot," a user noted this Friday. "What they are is trash, parasites, freeloaders, hustlers, and spongers. Good for nothing and bad at everything," said another, while a third person commented that Sandro's message was clear: "While you all fight, I have fun because I hold the power."
"This bird will get its time like all the offspring of the Castros; they are a bad weed that must be pulled out by the roots so that they don't sprout again," said a Cuban internet user, echoing the sentiments of many who expressed their outrage against the young Castro in the harshest terms.
“Dad, look at what we have, because you know we are humble, but every now and then we need to bring out these little toys we have at home… This is big stuff, my friends, so don’t get it wrong,” said Sandro Castro in a video posted on his social media that surfaced in February 2021, provoking outrage among many Cubans to the point where the young man had to issue an apology in another video, though he later continued with his frivolous and ostentatious behavior.
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