The Cuban host Carlos Otero revealed that the cast of the show "Sabadazo" performed in a private function for Raúl Castro at the San Antonio de los Baños airbase in the early 90s, during the Special Period.
Otero granted an interview to Darwin Santana on his YouTube channel "El Mundo de Darwin," in which he recounted this specific anecdote that he had never shared publicly before.
The summons came through General Leopoldo Cintra Frías, who informed them that they were to attend an event in honor of a battalion's anniversary. No one told them that Raúl Castro would be present.
The order brooked no refusal: "It was a yes or yes situation. If not, you’d disappear. You wouldn’t be on television anymore,” the artist emphasized.
Once inside the base, the cast was taken by surprise when they were informed of the presence of the then Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR). "And then all of a sudden they come in and tell us: General Raúl Castro is here, he wants to see the show. I said: 'now we’re definitely going to prison,'" Otero recounted.
The event took place in a closed venue set up as a cinema-theater with an improvised stage made of wooden planks. The highest-ranking leaders of the Western, Central, and Eastern armies of the FAR were present.
General Cintra Frías made it clear what the expectation was: "We know everything you say in the shows. We want the same show you perform on the street."
Carlos described how Raúl Castro laughed heartily at jokes about Cuba's social problems, and that the military officers around him laughed even louder each time he did.
After the show, the general summoned the cast and congratulated them. At that moment, he called Carlos "Ricardo Otero," because Margó's character referred to him that way on "Sabadazo." The host did not correct him: "I play with the chain, but not with the monkey."
He also mentioned that he made mocking gestures at Raúl while he was speaking with the other actors, which almost caused them to burst into laughter.
Neither Carlos nor his companions received any payment for the performance, just as was the case during their tours throughout Cuba.
Approximately a week later, the Army sent him an envelope with photographs of the event, including a group picture with Raúl Castro in the center. "I burned those photos," Otero stated. He did so before leaving Cuba, although he noted that the Army and State Security likely kept copies.
Sabadazo reached an 82% audience share during the Special Period and featured characters such as Gustavito, played by Geonel Martín, and Boncó Quiñongo. State Security closely monitored the cast: "They even knew the color of my underwear," Otero said.
The revelations are part of a broader narrative about his life under the regime.
In 2002, a mandatory summons to the Central Committee for an event with Fidel Castro—where he proudly recounted the execution of the "first traitor of the revolution"—was the definitive trigger for his decision to leave.
Carlos emigrated from Cuba on December 8, 2007, crossing from Canada to the United States. He worked 15 years at América TeVé until 2022. He currently hosts "La hora de Carlos" on YouTube, on Mondays and Thursdays.
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