Alexander Otaola reacted with skepticism to the alleged conversations between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of Raúl Castro and known as “El Cangrejo,” and described the leak as a supposed political maneuver.
“I allow myself to doubt it”, Otaola stated on his show El Mañanero.
“Gentlemen, anyone who has known El Cangrejo even a little, superficially, realizes that El Cangrejo is a completely subnormal person,” he said categorically.
Otaola said several times that "it is impossible" for the State Department to be having a serious conversation with "someone of this stature.”
The presenter and former candidate for the Miami-Dade mayoralty insisted that, if there were to be any contacts, they would have to be directed to those who truly make decisions within the power structure in Cuba.
“You tell me that sources say that through El Cangrejo the State Department is having conversations with Raúl Castro, and I stay silent because they would ultimately be speaking with the one who ‘calls the shots’,” he pointed out.
Otaola stated that he has been denouncing and analyzing the figure of Raúl Castro's grandson for years, and that has led him to be certain that he is unfit for a mission of that nature.
“I have been accusing El Cangrejo for years, I have been studying the personality of El Cangrejo, who is a lunatic,” he stated; and described him as “a guy whose only thoughts are parties, women, and revelry.”
The publication from Axios claims that Raúl Guillermo “enjoys a reputation within the GAESA consortium,” the military conglomerate that controls key sectors of the Cuban economy, a statement that Otaola also categorically rejected.
"Cangrejo is not respected in GAESA. What happened with Cangrejo is that he was the son of the guy who managed everything and who died unexpectedly... For Cangrejo to be the one to decide whether the communists leave power or not, no," he reiterated.
At another time, the influencer went further and described the version as part of a political maneuver against Marco Rubio.
“They are leaking this news to try to undermine Marco Rubio, to turn the community against Marco Rubio… It is completely false”, he asserted; and emphasized that, in his view, this is “a strategy by these people to try to set the community against Marco Rubio.”
Otaola also concluded that it is "impossible for the fate of all those military personnel, for the fate of an entire country to be in the hands of a completely foolish guy."
The revelation from Axios
The controversy arises from a report by Axios stating that Marco Rubio is having secret conversations with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, 41, a member of Raúl Castro's inner circle and linked to GAESA.
A senior U.S. official quoted by the outlet clarified the extent of the contacts: "I wouldn't call this negotiations as much as conversations about the future."
The objective would be to explore possible scenarios of political transition on the island.
The report indicates that Washington's strategy would involve bypassing the official channels of the Communist Party and the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel, engaging directly with individuals considered to be real decision-makers within the power structure.
The revelations come amidst intense pressure on Havana. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3 and the dismantling of the Caracas-Havana axis, the United States has tightened energy sanctions against Cuba.
President Donald Trump publicly stated that his administration is "talking to people at the highest levels in Cuba" and that the island "should make a deal."
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, recently assured EFE that “there is no high-level dialogue” with Washington and that there have only been “exchanges of messages.”
It also ruled out intermediaries such as Mexico or the Vatican and made it clear that Cuba is not willing to discuss constitutional reforms, changes to the socialist system, or the release of political prisoners.
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