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The Cuban regime has once again turned to its most recognized sports figures as part of its strategy to promote tourism abroad.
The five-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, Mijaín López, was presented this week at the 46th International Tourism Fair (FITUR 2026) in Madrid, as one of the prominent figures at Cuba's official booth.
According to publications from the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (INDER), López is part of the group of "iconic figures" representing the Island at the event, along with former athletes and artists aligned with the government, such as Javier Sotomayor and the singer Isaac Delgado.
The images released show the former wrestler participating in ceremonial events, posing for photographs with Cuban officials and visitors, and sharing spaces in the Cuban pavilion, which was renovated this year with a significant investment in design and staging.
Mijaín López's presence at FITUR has not gone unnoticed by critical sectors of the Cuban exile community and activists, who question the use of sports icons as propaganda showcases to gloss over the economic, social, and human rights crisis the country is experiencing.
On social media, several posts reported that the Cuban regime "does not promote a destination, but an image," while avoiding the depiction of the deterioration of basic services, shortages, and internal repression.
Critics also highlight the contrast between the symbolic treatment that retired athletes receive abroad and the actual conditions faced by many athletes in Cuba, which are characterized by low income, lack of resources, and a lack of professional autonomy.
For the activists who denounce the propagandistic use that the Cuban regime makes of the so-called "glories of revolutionary sports," Mijaín López's exhibition in Madrid is part of an official narrative that turns sports into a political and commercial tool.
While the Ministry of Tourism and the military conglomerate GAESA attempt to reposition Cuba as an attractive destination in the European market, the use of figures like López reinforces the debate about to what extent sports prestige is instrumentalized to maintain an international image disconnected from the everyday reality of the Island.
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