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The Hispanic-Cuban boxer Enmanuel Reyes Pla delivered a strong message directed at Pablo Iglesias following the recent statements made by the former leader of Podemos from Havana, in which he downplayed the severity of the crisis on the island, and invited him to stay there to live if he likes it so much.
The athlete, who emigrated from Cuba and is now a representative of Spain, reacted on Instagram with a strong criticism of the former Spanish vice president and shared a testimony shaped by his personal experience under the communist system.
"I am an emigrant from Cuba who has come to this great country with goals and dreams... Spain opened its doors to me, made me one of its own, and has allowed me to defend its flag," Reyes began writing on Instagram, expressing gratitude for the opportunities he has found outside the island.
However, the boxer made it clear that he does not forget his roots or the reality he lived: “Cuban blood runs through my veins, and it pains me to see how a beautiful country continues to be destroyed… by a communism that, after 67 years, has only succeeded in plunging it into misery.”
"I come from there."
The trigger for his message was Iglesias' statements on Spanish television, made during his stay in Cuba as part of an international delegation.
After meeting with officials from the Communist Party, the former vice president stated that the situation on the island "is difficult, but not as it is presented from the outside."
Reyes Pla directly responded to that narrative asserting that "everything is fine there and there are no problems."
I come from there; I know what it is to live under communism… you have no idea what it's like to see people around you die, to fight their whole lives and end up with nothing, the boxer questioned from his personal experience.
The boxer insisted that the idealized vision of the system does not correspond to the daily reality of Cubans, and he recalled that many "promote communism as a good policy... but in real life that is not implemented, nor do they apply it for themselves."
In his post, Reyes described the current situation on the island as a country "that is without electricity, without food, without water, and without other basic necessities".
Her words contrast with the official discourse and the approach of some international sectors that attribute the crisis solely to external factors, such as U.S. sanctions.
While Iglesias highlighted the "resilience" of the Cuban system and certain advances such as the use of renewable energy, testimonies like that of the athlete point to a reality marked by scarcity, blackouts, and the deterioration of basic services.
If you want communism so much, then stay there... just like the Cuban people, in the same conditions, let's see if your speech will be the same, he said, referring directly to Iglesias.
The boxer also criticized what he sees as a disconnect between those who defend the system from positions of privilege and those who have suffered under it.
"It's painful to see how some are deceived by people with twisted minds...", he asserted, concluding with a call to Spanish society.
“Let us not allow this beautiful country... to be contaminated by this kind of communist thought. Let us not permit it,” he concluded.
Context: International visit amid the crisis
Iglesias' statements were made during his participation in the international convoy "Nuestra América," which brings together leftist politicians and activists from various countries and aims to send humanitarian aid to Cuba.
The group – which includes names like Jeremy Corbyn and Clara López – has held meetings with Cuban authorities and has publicly defended the regime amid the economic and energy crisis facing the island.
These types of visits tend to generate controversy, especially due to the contrast between the institutional image presented to the delegations and the increasing reports within the country about prolonged power outages, food shortages, and the collapse of basic services.
In that context, Reyes Pla's testimony introduces a different voice: that of a Cuban who emigrated and who, from his experience, openly questions the narrative of those who, without having lived that reality, defend the system from the outside.
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