Manuel González Hernández, known as Manolín, El Médico de la Salsa, stated in an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba that, although he was never a "Trump supporter," if Donald Trump and Marco Rubio keep their promise and free Cuba from the dictatorship, he will have their pictures on his nightstand for the rest of his life, along with a thank you.
The singer, who lived in Cuba for approximately five years after two decades in exile, explained that his stance is the result of a "radicalization" that took him thirty years to achieve. He himself admits that he went from criticizing the regime while "always leaving a door open" to demanding its unconditional overthrow.
"It took me 30 years to reach this conclusion because it is very difficult to ask someone else to remove the dictatorship for you, but it is not an option," declared the artist.
Manolín emphasized that his support for the Trump Administration is not ideological but pragmatic. "For the first time, a U.S. government is committing to this, so of course, we have to take advantage of it."
The singer acknowledged that Trump has said he will help Cuba once he is done with Iran, although he admitted uncertainty about the timelines. Nevertheless, he stated that he sees a real commitment and urged Cubans to pitch in.
Regarding the situation on the Island, Manolín was emphatic: "The Cuban people are bound hand and foot, they are armed to the teeth, with patrols, police, weapons, and they shoot at the people, beat them, and imprison them without mercy."
That’s why he acknowledged that it is very difficult for him from the outside to urge people to take risks. "I tell you honestly, in Cuba they kill you."
The artist asserted that the solution must come with outside assistance and that he would accept it "from whomever," even from Haiti. "You are the criminals, you are the traitors, and if we need to ask for help, we will accept it, how could we not," he directly addressed the regime.
Manolín described it as a "crime" that the dictatorship has forced Cubans to "live on charity because of their obsession with power," and he listed what the regime has lost: "Empathy, humanity, common sense, shame, scruples. It’s all about power at any cost."
This is not the first time the singer has publicly railed against the regime. Last April, he criticized Díaz-Canel's speech calling on the people to prepare for a supposed U.S. military aggression, labeling it "a disgrace" and asserting that "in Cuba, they never call on the people for anything good."
Despite the urgent tone, Manolín urged thinking about the day after with calmness. He called for the construction of a post-dictatorship Cuba "without revenge and without retribution," where even those who were communists could integrate into democracy.
"It can't be the never-ending story; we have to make a difference," she insisted.
The singer concluded with a declaration of faith in the Cuban people and the future of the Island: "Welcome the aid from Trump, welcome the aid from Marco Rubio, welcome the assistance. I hope they can do it in the best way possible."
Filed under: