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The Iranian-Jewish influencer Nioh Berg posted a message on X expressing her admiration for the Cuban people and drew a parallel between the experiences of Iranians and Cubans under authoritarian regimes.
"I have developed so much respect for Cubans. They are the ones who understand us the most. They deserve to be free from their regime," wrote Berg on his X account.
Berg, who describes herself as an Iranian-Jewish influencer whose purpose is to "speak the truth no matter how many enemies I make," is an active voice on social media about the political situation in Iran and other countries under authoritarian governments.
His message establishes a bridge of solidarity between two peoples who have spent decades living under dictatorial systems, facing restrictions on civil liberties, economic crises, and systematic political repression.
The irony of the relationship is striking: at the governmental level, Cuba and Iran maintain a historical and close alliance.
In December 2023, Miguel Díaz-Canel was welcomed in Tehran by the Iranian supreme leader Ali Jamenei, who recalled the influence of the Cuban Revolution on Iranian revolutionaries.
Fidel Castro visited Tehran in 2001 and referred to Iran as a "legendary land." Cuba also diplomatically supported the Islamic Revolution of 1979, according to historical analyses on the relationship between the two countries.
However, at the popular level, the everyday experiences of Iranian and Cuban citizens share profound similarities: scarcity, blackouts, censorship, and a lack of basic freedoms.
It is precisely that shared experience that Berg identifies as the bridge of mutual understanding.
The statement comes at a time when the conversation about the Cuban regime has intensified on social media.
The influencer Anna Bensi held the regime responsible for the internal crisis, arguing that the U.S. embargo is not the main cause of poverty on the island.
For her part, Samantha Espineira stated that Cuba is "right now a matter of humanity" due to the food crisis, blackouts, and the lack of basic services, a position also held by the creator identified as Maray.
Alex Otaola, for his part, was more direct in pointing out that Cuba is not an economic or humanitarian issue, but a political one, and demanded the removal of the Communist Party from power.
The voice of an Iranian influencer who draws that parallel from outside the Cuban community adds an international dimension to the debate and underscores that suffering under single-party dictatorships transcends borders and ideologies.
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