After working for more than 30 years in the official media, sports journalist Armando Campuzano, who has been residing in Canada for almost a decade, has returned to the public eye to expose the work environment at Televisión Cubana, a place he described as toxic and ruthless, characterized by betrayal among colleagues, opportunism, and blind obedience to the political hierarchy.
During his interview on the YouTube channel El Mundo de Darwin, one of the most shocking confessions was the breakup with his colleague and former friend Rodolfo García, whom he accused of acting as an informal power broker within the organization, deciding on trips, dividing the staff, and seeking favors through servility.
“He is a very good sports narrator professionally, but as a person, he's a real son of a b****,” stated "El Chino," as he was also known.
“Rodolfo always applied the idea of divide and conquer. He did it among all the sports commentators. That was his role, even without holding any official position,” he stated.
The journalist also mentioned figures like Julita Osendi, who now lives in Miami, and offered some faint criticisms, although he acknowledged that as a woman she managed to survive in that hostile environment.
"On television, there are no friends. Perhaps this is a result of the mediocre system we live in, where you are capable of betraying someone else for a trip, a show, or a position," he stated with complete confidence.
He also denounced the arbitrariness in the assignment of sports coverage. According to him, many of these decisions were made over drinks of rum, outside of professional criteria, and he was excluded from those "meetings," from which he would later learn about through comments.
"No one is a communist in Cuba, not even Díaz-Canel."
In addition, during a part of the dialogue that lasted more than two hours, Campuzano spoke about the influences of the regime on sports broadcasts and left a powerful statement: “No one is a communist in Cuba, not even Díaz-Canel is a communist; they are opportunists,” words that reflect the unabashedness within the so-called “socialism” on a cursed island since January 1959.
Repercussions after traveling to Canada
The sports commentator recounted how he was punished for his independence when he traveled with his wife to the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto during his legal vacation. After being spotted by cameras in the stands, his superiors informally sanctioned him, sidelining him from international events and hindering his professional development.
Tension reached a critical point when he was involved in a physical altercation with a police officer in Havana, which prompted his final decision to go into exile with his family. In 2017, he left the island for Canada, where he currently resides.
Exile without nostalgia for television
Now established in North America, Campuzano is not looking to revive his media career. On the contrary, he asserts that his priority has been to live with dignity and freedom, without missing the microphone. He plans to write a book to denounce the dictatorship based on his experience and acknowledges that his exile was also a personal and family liberation.
Echoes of a Rotten Structure
The testimony of Armando Campuzano adds to a long list of complaints that expose the use of Cuban state media as tools of control, propaganda, and punishment, where meritocracy is replaced by servility and loyalty to the regime.
In contrast, while he exposes that reality from exile, Gabriela Fernández Álvarez, host of the pro-government program Con Filo, currently exports in Spain that ideological machinery which does not tolerate criticism or plurality.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cuban Television and the Testimony of Armando Campuzano
What was Armando Campuzano's main complaint about Cuban Television?
Armando Campuzano denounced a toxic and ruthless work environment at Cuban Television, characterized by betrayals among colleagues, opportunism, and blind obedience to the political hierarchy. He revealed how professional decisions were made based on favoritism rather than merit, reflecting corruption and political control in Cuba's state media.
What personal experiences did Campuzano share regarding the Cuban regime?
Campuzano revealed that he faced punishment for his independence, especially after his trip to Canada during the 2015 Pan American Games. He was sidelined from international events and faced professional blocks after being seen in the stands, which ultimately led to his decision to go into exile with his family in 2017.
What is Campuzano's opinion on communism in Cuba?
Campuzano affirmed that "no one is a communist in Cuba, not even Díaz-Canel," describing them instead as opportunists. This statement reflects his criticism of the regime and his perception that Cuban socialism is more a facade of power than a genuine political conviction.
How does Campuzano's situation compare to that of other Cuban journalists in exile?
Like other Cuban journalists in exile, such as José Luis Basulto, Campuzano has had to rebuild his professional life outside of Cuba. Many times these professionals face marginalization and reprisals from the Cuban regime, which forces them to seek new opportunities abroad, like Basulto, who now resides in Mexico.
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