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The grandson of Fidel Castro and Cuban influencer Sandro Castro acknowledged this Tuesday in an interview with the Colombian channel Red+ Noticias that Cuba has lost two of the most emblematic pillars of the revolutionary discourse: medicine and sports.
When asked about which aspects of his grandfather's legacy have lost relevance, Sandro replied: "Many very positive things have been lost, such as values, principles, loyalty, and unity among Cubans. Sometimes a lot of hatred has been created, and also many things like medicine not letting it be a potential, sports, yes, there are aspects of a legacy that should be preserved and revisited."
In the same interview, Sandro admitted that starting a business in Cuba is "quite tough" due to bureaucracy and the energy crisis, and described the economic opening as "an urgent necessity, brother. Urgent, urgent."
The grandson of the revolutionary leader also bluntly acknowledged that the country is experiencing a collapse: "There is a collapse, there is a real collapse, but not a collapse that will last forever."
The interview was conducted from Havana with interruptions in the electricity supply during the broadcast, which unintentionally illustrated the crisis that Sandro himself was describing.
Regarding his stance towards the government, Sandro admitted that he makes "subliminal and subtle" criticisms because "I respect the government since I live on the island," although he insisted that he has no privileges because of his last name: "No, not at all. I feel like a proud citizen of the people. 100% Cuban."
The deterioration that Sandro acknowledges has concrete and devastating figures. More than 70% of essential medications are unavailable in Cuba in 2026, infant mortality has tripled compared to 2018 — from 3.9 to 8.2 per thousand live births — and 96,000 Cubans are waiting for surgery, including 11,000 children.
The Cuban Minister of Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda, acknowledged in February 2026 that the healthcare system was on the brink of collapse, while between 2021 and 2022 the country lost around 12,000 doctors, 7,414 nurses, and 3,000 dentists due to emigration.
In terms of baseball, the drain of talent to Major League Baseball and foreign leagues has left the national team far from the dominance it had during the 1980s and 1990s, when Cuba ruled international tournaments.
Sandro, who in October 2025 posted on Instagram the phrase "Revolutionary yes. Communist no. I respect my country and government", stated that his life project continues to be staying on the island: "Cuba. In Cuba 100%. I like being in my country."
The interview with Red+ Noticias took place days after another conversation with CNN that sparked controversy among Cubans both on the island and abroad, being described as whitewashing by journalist Luz Escobar.
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