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The official presenter Gabriela Fernández, one of the most active voices in the propaganda of the Cuban regime, stated during an interview in the Basque media Naiz that, after traveling abroad for the first time, her view of Cuba has become more favorable.
"I had never left the country before. Now that I have and see what lies beyond, Cuba seems much more interesting and admirable to me," he stated, at a time when thousands of young Cubans flee each year from the repression and economic decline of the island.
Fernández, scriptwriter and host of the television program Con Filo, undertook a tour of 15 Spanish cities in May under the slogan “Cuban Youth in Times of Trump,” with the support of the State Movement of Solidarity with Cuba (MESC).
During his tour, he defended the principles of the Cuban regime before sympathetic audiences at events organized in universities, venues of Izquierda Unida, offices of the Communist Party of Spain, and groups in solidarity with the government of Havana.
In the interview with Naiz, Fernández addressed the current situation in Cuba, marked by blackouts, inflation, and a growing youth exodus, and blamed the crisis on the U.S. embargo. “The blockade has forced us to take measures that distract us somewhat from the revolutionary ideal,” he stated.
Regarding the frequent power outages, he acknowledged that "they emotionally affect people and, of course, the economy," although he avoided assigning blame to the government.
When comparing the current crisis to the so-called "special period" of the 1990s, she stated that "officially we have never left" that stage, although she recognized differences in which she perceives the current context as better than the past.
“In the ‘special period’, the shortages were severe; now we do not have that level of shortages, but it is true that we need to work on the issue of salaries, which often do not suffice.”
Fernández admitted that young Cubans "are living in truly complex times", but clarified: "Just because they are complex doesn't necessarily mean they are bad."
Regarding the mass emigration the country is experiencing, it was pointed out that in the past it was viewed more negatively because it was important to stay and continue building, but today it has become understandable even for "the youth who, no matter how revolutionary they are, emigrate."
He stated that the regime is trying to "promote the normalization of relations between emigrants and residents on the island," and also blamed the U.S. embargo for "breaking those relations and using emigration as a political weapon against Cuba."
Throughout her tour, Fernández was received in pro-regime environments and shielded from the protests by Cuban activists and opposition members. In several cities, including Seville, the events were held behind closed doors.
Fernández, born in Havana in the year 2000, also publishes in state-run media such as Cubadebate and Cimarronas, and works as a professor at the Enrique José Varona University of Pedagogical Sciences.
Her media presence solidified after the protests on July 11, 2021, when the Cuban regime launched Con Filo as a platform to justify repression and maintain its narrative in the face of increasing public discontent.
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