Náyare, a Cuban journalist residing in Spain, and the spokesperson for Podemos, Pablo Fernández, took part in a tense debate this Sunday on the show "En Boca de Todos" on Cuatro.
Fernández defended Pablo Iglesias's visit to Cuba and attributed the humanitarian crisis on the island to the U.S. embargo. Náyare was decisive in pointing out the true culprit of the Cuban collapse.
"The one responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Cuba is solely the dictatorship that has been in power for more than 65 years," he stated. His words triggered an immediate response from Fernández, who stated categorically: "No. I do not agree."
The rest of the set directly addressed Fernández: "How are you going to tell a Cuban woman 'no'? Cubans know more about Cuba than Spaniards do."
Fernández, far from rectifying, defended Iglesias's presence on the island as part of the international convoy "Our America", which arrived in Havana with over 20 tons of humanitarian aid and about 630 activists from 33 countries.
"Pablo Iglesias is in Cuba demonstrating solidarity with the Cuban people and showing that he has the courage and bravery necessary and sufficient, like the rest of the flotilla, to demand that the criminal blockade imposed by the United States on the Cuban people be lifted once and for all," stated the spokesperson for Podemos.
He even described Donald Trump's policies towards Cuba as "a planned genocide."
The controversy surrounding Iglesias had erupted days earlier when the former leader of Podemos, after meeting with authorities of the Cuban Communist Party, stated that the situation on the island "is certainly difficult, but not as it is being portrayed from the outside."
The statements, made while staying at a five-star hotel, sparked a wave of outrage among Cubans both on and off the island.
Náyare publicly challenged Pablo Iglesias with an invitation to live for a month in her home in Havana. She explained that there is only one condition: "not to bring even a euro."
The reporter challenged Iglesias to live like his parents do, and clarified that the Spanish politician can consider himself fortunate because he would not be living like the most vulnerable people on the island.
"My parents are Cuban workers and they are a privileged couple because they have two children abroad who help them. Still, I want Pablo Iglesias to spend a month in my house in Havana and then tell Spain what it's like to live in Cuba."
The debate arises as Cuba is experiencing a major humanitarian emergency. The island is facing blackouts that last for entire days, has gone months without receiving fuel shipments, and its healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.
The situation worsened after Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, which impacted 2.2 million people and further deteriorated an infrastructure already damaged by decades of mismanagement by the regime.
Podemos, along with Sumar and Bildu, supports the "Nuestra América" convoy and demands that the Government of Pedro Sánchez condemn the U.S. embargo and increase humanitarian aid to Cuba, ignoring the responsibility of the dictatorship in the country's collapse.
While international leftist leaders debate from luxury hotels in Havana, the Cuban people are waiting for someone to acknowledge what Náyare bluntly stated to all of Spain: It has been 67 years of dictatorship, and not the embargo, that has brought Cuba to this situation.
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