Sandro Castro, the extravagant influencer and grandson of Fidel Castro, posted a story on his Instagram account announcing that he will visit the zoo this Saturday, the 4th, because, in his own words, "humans don't understand him" and he prefers to "talk to the animals."
The video, recorded inside a car, shows Sandro wearing round sunglasses, a dark sweater, and a fake (prop) hand decorated with tattoos and black nails, resting on his shoulder, which he affectionately calls "Magnolia." "Tomorrow I'm going with Magnolia, since it's Pioneer Day, to the zoo. Because humans no longer understand me. I want to talk to the animals for a while. Magnolia, tomorrow zoo, because it's Pioneer Day," says Raúl Castro's great-nephew.
The chosen moment for the statement carries its own ironic weight: April 4 is celebrated in Cuba as the anniversary of the founding of the José Martí Pioneer Organization (OPJM), established on April 4, 1961, and the Union of Young Communists (UJC), which was created a year later.
While the regime celebrates with parades, awards, children's galas, and a ridiculous "Anti-Imperialist Youth Parade 'Here with Fidel'", the grandson of the founder of the revolution announces that he prefers the company of the animals in the zoo rather than that of the young revolutionary pioneers or the communist youths.
The post comes just four days after the clownish influencer starred in a controversial interview with CNN, where he claimed that the majority of Cubans want to be capitalists, not communists and openly criticized President Miguel Díaz-Canel: "He is not doing a good job."
In that same interview, Sandro showcased his Havana apartment with unpainted walls and a nearly empty refrigerator, although it comes with its own generator to keep the beers cold and provide electricity during the blackouts experienced by the rest of the country.
He also revealed that he was summoned for questioning by State Security due to his satirical videos, although he was released with just a warning. This is nothing compared to the systematic harassment and constant pressure exerted by this political police on opponents, critical intellectuals, activists, and independent journalists.
On April 2, in another statement that caused a stir, he claimed that his bar cost him "only" 50,000 dollars, an amount equivalent to more than two hundred years of the average salary of a Cuban worker.
The irony of Fidel Castro's grandson wanting to "talk to the animals" takes on a different dimension when considering the state of the island's zoos: the 26 Zoo in Havana was reported in 2025 by its own workers as a place in neglect, with malnourished animals, dirty cages, and lack of food.
A worker at this park summed it up with a phrase that says it all: "If there’s nothing for the Cubans, what’s there going to be for the animals?"
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