A group of Cuban exiles is protesting this Monday in Madrid at an event featuring the official spokesperson Gabriela Fernández Álvarez, host of the program Con Filo.
The protest takes place in front of the Hispano-Cuban Friendship Association "Bartolomé de las Casas," where Fernández is giving a talk, according to various reports on social media.
According to a post by Árbol Invertido, under the pretext that it was a private event, several Cubans who tried to peacefully enter the venue where the talk was taking place were denied access.
For her part, activist Havana de la Torre, who is among the protesters, stated that there is a police presence at the site and that the audience of the conference, in addition to the Cuban consul, consists of “elderly Spaniards.”
The "conference" is called "Cuban Youth in the Time of Donald Trump," he added.
“Exiles and activists, holding signs that demand the release of political prisoners and denounce the repression on the island, protest against what they consider a propaganda act to improve the regime's image outside of Cuba,” detailed Árbol Invertido.
At the end of the event, the protesters shouted at Fernández Álvarez with cries of “shameless,” “who paid you,” “Gabriela, here are the Cubans,” “down with the dictatorship,” and “freedom for political prisoners,” as they were held back by the police.
Fernández Álvarez, in a defiant attitude, blowed them a kiss, while others in the group recorded or photographed the protesters.
This week it was revealed that Fernández Álvarez, one of the most prominent figures of the Cuban regime's propaganda machinery, would embark on a tour of 15 cities in Spain from May 5 to 21, under the title "Cuban Youth in the Times of Trump."
The young presenter of the program “Con Filo”, a segment of Cuban Television that directly addresses the ideological interests of the regime, aims to defend the official narrative before European audiences, with the support of the State Movement of Solidarity with Cuba (MESC).
The provisional program includes events in cities such as Madrid, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Málaga, Bilbao, Valencia, Gijón, and Seville, among others.
Some of the meetings will be open to the public, while others, such as those planned at the University of Seville or in Vilaboa, will be held behind closed doors.
Among the local hosts are the venues of Izquierda Unida, the Communist Party of Spain, and associations that advocate for solidarity with Cuba.
Born in Havana in 2000, Gabriela Fernández is a screenwriter and host of the program Con Filo, created in 2021 as a media response from the regime following the protests on July 11 of that year.
The television space is defined as "a trench against manipulation," although in practice it serves as a megaphone for the government's arguments to justify repression, structural crises, and the lack of freedoms on the island.
In addition to her role on television, Fernández writes articles for Cubadebate, collaborates with the official feminist magazine Cimarronas, and teaches at the Enrique José Varona University of Pedagogical Sciences.
According to media aligned with the government, he obtained a gold medal and certificates of academic excellence in 2024.
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