Sandro Castro, grandson of Fidel Castro, announced on Monday that during the week he will conduct a sort of personal news bulletin on his social media, where he will discuss three current Cuban topics under his alter ego "vampiro": the case of Javier "Spiderman," that of Jonathan David, and the fuel crisis.
"This week I'm going to talk about various topics, concerns from people who write to me, and I'm going to respond to many followers," he said.
"Tomorrow, Tuesday, I will discuss the case of Javier Spiderman, the day after I will talk about the case of Jonathan David, and later I will address the issue of fuel. And as always, vampiro will provide his response," declared the young man in his post.
The occurrence has been met with sarcasm by many Cubans, who see the dictator's grandson as a privileged young man attempting to position himself as a commentator on the issues plaguing the Island without incurring any cost for it.
The most striking contrast is presented by the very case that Sandro promises to address this Tuesday: Cuban MMA champion Javier "Spiderman" Martín was violently arrested on April 24 and taken to Villa Marista - the headquarters of the political police - after more than eight days of peaceful protests from his balcony, where he denounced the social crisis, the use of synthetic drugs, and street violence.
Spider-Man's wife, Lisandra Cuza, confirmed the arrest on April 25, and the authorities from the Ministry of the Interior themselves admitted that the fighter was "beaten for resisting."
While a citizen who protested peacefully ended up in the hands of State Security, Sandro Castro announces that he will "talk about the case" from the comfort of his social media, without any consequences.
Sandro himself was summoned by State Security in the past for his satirical videos, but he was released with just a simple warning—a treatment that no ordinary Cuban could expect.
It is no less ironic that Fidel's grandson aims to "talk about fuel." Cuba is experiencing one of the worst energy crises in its recent history: the electricity generation deficit exceeds 1,400 MW daily, with blackouts affecting up to 62% of the national territory for more than 20 hours.
The lines to buy gasoline last between 15 and 25 hours to obtain just 20 liters, and Díaz-Canel himself acknowledged on April 16 that there is "fuel for almost nothing".
It is indeed hard for many Cubans to digest that Sandro is the one addressing this topic: the young man owns the EFE bar in Vedado, which has a minimum consumption requirement of 15,000 Cuban pesos per table—equivalent to about two months of the average salary on the Island—and in the past, he showcased his full gas tank on social media during the blackouts of 2019.
The "vampire" character that Sandro has developed is not new. It is an eccentric alter ego with which he publishes grotesque videos, parodies, and comments on the Cuban crisis. In March, he was featured by The New York Times and interviewed by CNN, where he stated that "the majority of Cubans want capitalism, not communism" and criticized Díaz-Canel's management.
Since April 20, Sandro has also distributed food boxes to vulnerable people in the streets of Havana, an action that has sparked debate about whether it reflects genuine solidarity or a publicity strategy.
"There is no greater happiness in my heart right now than helping my Cuba," he declared, in a week when the triple champion Spiderman was exposing the truth from his balcony and ended up in Villa Marista because of it.
The weekly "NotiSandro" is the latest installment featuring a character who, with each incident, draws attention while millions of Cubans struggle to survive without electricity, food, and freedom of expression: the same young man who in February 2021 boasted about speeding through Havana in his Mercedes-Benz, declaring, "We are simple people, but we need to take the toys out of the house."
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