The Cuban-American businessman Max Álvarez concluded an extensive interview on Tuesday with journalist Mario J. Pentón with an emotional message directed at Cubans living on the island, urging them not to be afraid of exiles, and to trust that change will come.
"Never fear those of us who are here. There are always good people and bad people, there’s no doubt about it, but most of us want freedom for the Cubans, we want Cubans to learn not to depend on the government, to understand what capitalism is, and for them to be the ones to reconstruct what was taken from them over 60 years ago," he said.
"We are only here to help you, not to take advantage of your situation," added Álvarez, who is the founder and president of Sunshine Gasoline Distributors, one of the largest independent fuel distributors in the Southeast of the United States.
Álvarez also wanted to make clear that his position is widely shared among the exile community: "Many Cubans think like I do, there are always exceptions, but the majority, the majority of Cubans who truly love Cuba, think the same way I do."
He reserved the most personal message for those on the island who dream of a better future.
"The message I want everyone watching to take away, who perhaps haven't had the luck that we've had by coming to this country, is to realize that once you have the opportunity, you can do just as well or even better than I have. I assure you, I am no genius; I am just another Cuban, very proud to be Cuban, Spanish, and American," he added.
The interview with Pentón also covered Álvarez's personal journey, who arrived in the United States at the age of 13 in 1961 through Operation Peter Pan, the program that relocated more than 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children between 1960 and 1962. His story is marked by tragedy: when he left Cuba heading to Spain, his older brother died there, which meant that his parents lost both of their children on the same day.
Throughout the conversation, Álvarez categorically rejected investing in Cuba under the current regime.
In response to a proposal from a Cuban congressman to open gas stations on the island, he said: "Do you think I’m going to Cuba to open a gas station to take advantage of the misery of our brothers and sisters? No."
Instead, he proposed to teach Cubans the principles of capitalism and independence from the government, even offering to give away the plans to build a gas station.
Regarding the possibility of a political solution, he was straightforward: Cuba can be fixed with a phone call, though he cautioned that "you cannot negotiate with terrorists."
In March 2026, President Donald Trump publicly mentioned him from the White House as an example of Cuban American success, describing him as the largest gas station owner in the country.
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