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The Cuban journalist Max Lesnik, known for his support of the Havana regime and his critical stance towards the anti-Castro exile community in Miami, has passed away in that city, as confirmed by the former spy of the Red Avispa and current national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), Gerardo Hernández Nordelo.
"Patriot Max Lesnik has just passed away in Miami, a key figure or witness to many chapters of our history. My deepest condolences to his family and friends," expressed Hernández Nordelo in a message on .
Born in 1930 in Camajuaní, Villa Clara, Max Lesnik was politically active from a young age in the Orthodox Youth, where he formed friendships with figures such as Eduardo Chibás and Fidel Castro.
Although he initially opposed Fulgencio Batista's coup d'état and supported the revolutionary insurrection, he later went into exile in Miami in 1961 due to his disagreement with certain aspects of the communist regime established on the island.
However, over the years, Lesnik became one of the most outspoken voices in favor of normalizing relations between Cuba and the United States, defending Castroism and harshly criticizing the more intransigent sectors of the Cuban exile community.
He was a fighter who ended up selling out to Castroism. I don't know at what cost, but he is already a collaborator of the Castro brothers," said dissident and former political prisoner Huber Matos in 2007, who was accused of treason and spent 22 years in prison before seeking asylum in the United States. In the interview, Matos stated that he and many other Cuban exiles had "zero tolerance" towards Lesnik.
In 1968, he founded the magazine "Réplica" in Miami, a publication known for its favorable stance toward the Cuban government, which earned it the rejection and hostility of many sectors of the exile community. On several occasions, his office was attacked and vandalized, and Lesnik even became a victim of assassination attempts, illustrating the polarization generated by his political views.
Throughout his life, he maintained a close relationship with the Cuban government, making frequent trips to the island and participating in meetings with high-ranking officials of the regime. In Miami, he led the Alianza Martiana, an organization that actively promoted the lifting of the U.S. embargo and the defense of Havana's policies.
Controversy and protests against him/her
His pro-regime activism in a city marked by anti-Castro exile earned him numerous enemies.
In May 2023, Cuban exiles in Miami protested against him, denouncing his closeness to the regime and his role in promoting narratives favorable to the dictatorship. Previously, in 2020, the headquarters of the Alianza Martiana, which he presided over, was the target of attacks and vandalism by groups opposed to his ideas.
Similarly, on several occasions, requests were made to the authorities in Miami to prevent the holding of caravans and demonstrations organized by Lesnik and his group, who were accused of provoking the exiled community with their pro-Castro rhetoric.
Reactions following his passing
The death of Max Lesnik has sparked mixed reactions. While his supporters, both in Cuba and in certain circles in Miami, bid farewell to him as a "patriot" and a champion of dialogue between Cuba and the United States, many in the exile community remember him as a controversial figure, whose unwavering stance towards the regime prevented him from acknowledging the crimes and human rights violations committed on the island.
On the island, official media highlighted his career as "a friend of Cuba" and a fighter for the revolutionary cause, while in exile the perception prevailed that Lesnik was a propagandist for Castroism on U.S. soil.
His passing marks the end of an era in the political relations between Cuba and Miami, leaving behind a legacy of confrontation and debate over the history and destiny of the Cuban nation.
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