Reports about alleged conversations between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson of Raúl Castro known as “El Cangrejo”, triggered immediate reactions in Miami, where analysts and members of the exile community rejected any rapprochement involving the family of the Cuban dictator.
Univisión introduced Rodríguez Castro as “Raúl Castro's favorite grandson” and cited the American outlet Axios, which claimed that he would be in talks with Rubio.
According to the report, the contacts were not described as formal negotiations, although they would be part of an exchange in the current context of crisis on the island.
Andy Gómez, an analyst on Cuba, stated that "Raúl learned something very important from his brother Fidel: do not trust anyone," and recalled that "El Cangrejo is the son of Alberto López Calleja, the general who ran GAESA, and the eldest daughter of Raúl Castro."
In his opinion, "the only one who can choose El Cangrejo is his grandfather Raúl Castro," which would reinforce the idea that any approach would need the approval of the real power in Cuba.
It was explained in the same space that, according to the sources cited by Axios, Rodríguez Castro —who also serves as her grandfather's bodyguard— is “the apple of the eye” of the former ruler.
They argue that a potential contact with him could bypass institutional channels and seek dialogue with younger sectors connected to business interests within the system.
Eloy Viera, an analyst from the elTOQUE platform, believed that "the administration is trying to engage with the real power and not with bureaucratic structures that could serve as a reference or a shield."
He added that, in a transitional scenario, some actors might be trying to “preserve important economic assets or, at the very least, impunity for those who remain alive.”
During the debate, it was also noted that while Washington maintains its stance that the regime must relinquish power, Havana appears to be trying to ensure that certain members of the Castro family do not have to leave the country.
"They are protecting their grandfather," Gómez assured.
For his part, the stance of analyst and commentator Miguel Cossio was firm. "No one from the Castro family could be part of that process of change."
In the same vein, political analyst Sebastián Arcos Cazabón stated: “The same would happen if it were Alejandro Castro or Raúl Guillermo, the son or the grandson. They would not be acceptable to the Cuban people.”
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