Presenter of Con Filo issues challenge from Spain: "Prove that we've lied"

Gabriela Fernández Álvarez, the face of the Cuban official program Con Filo, continues her propaganda tour in Spain amid protests, controversies... and lies.

During a presentation in the city of Málaga, at an event organized by the Spanish union Comisiones Obreras -of a socialist and communist orientation-, Gabriela defended her work against the numerous criticisms she has received both in Cuba and abroad.

In response to the ongoing accusation that Con Filo spreads misinformation and distorts the reality of Cuba, it issued a challenge: "It's a program you might agree or disagree with, because ultimately it's about opinion and political analysis, but we have never lied."

Seeking to legitimize the editorial line of the program, which targets dissidents, activists, and journalists critical of the regime, he insisted that the accusations have not been supported by evidence.

According to her, both she and her colleagues always challenge those people to inform them of any lies they may have told, but so far, no one has been able to prove anything.

Although he acknowledged that he faces criticism in Cuba, Fernández stated that such criticisms do not extend beyond the virtual realm. "The toxicity that generally appears on social media, which can be extremely violent, typically does not cross the screen in Cuba," he noted.

In contrast, she stated that in Spain she has been a victim of more direct harassment: "It seems they got tired, but they were chasing me through all the cities...".

At another point in his remarks, he compared the situation in Cuba to what he is currently experiencing in Europe: "They have not reached the level of violence here," he pointed out, without mentioning that similar actions by citizens in Cuba could lead to criminal consequences.

In an attempt to demonstrate closeness with the Cuban public, he stated that the program's presenters live alongside the people who watch them on television and that they are open to direct dialogue.

"They can talk to us and it never reaches that level of violence that has occurred here, of threatening, trying to intimidate," he insisted.

Despite her attempt to showcase popularity, Gabriela Fernández's tour of Spanish cities has not been free from confrontations. Cuban exiles have tried to attend her events, but they have been denied entry.

On May 5th, in Madrid, a tense moment unfolded as she went out to provoke with kisses and mockery towards emigrants peacefully protesting in front of the Bartolomé de las Casas Hispano-Cuban Friendship Association, where she was giving a talk.

"This had never happened to us," he said, referring to the level of confrontation experienced in the streets of Spain.

The tour of Gabriela Fernández Álvarez through 15 European cities, under the auspices of the State Movement of Solidarity with Cuba (MESC), has been labeled by exiled activists as an ideological laundering campaign by the regime.

The tour aims to project a positive image of the Cuban system and defend official positions regarding the embargo, revolutionary youth, and resistance to U.S. sanctions, while actively excluding dissenting voices.

On social media, activists like Magdiel Jorge Castro reported that Fernández was captured "mocking free Cubans", while also highlighting the police presence and the support of local communist groups at the events.

Fernández's appearance on the international stage seems to confirm a strategy of external propaganda by the Cuban regime, which seeks to position its narrative in spaces receptive to its discourse while ignoring the serious human rights violations occurring within the country.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gabriela Fernández Álvarez's Tour and Its Impact