Esther Batista Curiel, granddaughter of Fulgencio Batista and a Spanish citizen also holding Cuban nationality, highlights the positive legacy of her grandfather in a interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba, stating that during his administration "the buildings did not collapse, there was food, and there were medicines," contrasting with the ruin and brutal scarcity currently experienced on the Island after 67 years of Castro's dictatorship.
The statements emerged in response to comments from viewers of the program who shared family testimonies about the Batista era.
A viewer identified as Chabela wrote that her mother, who lived under both systems, taught her that "one cannot judge without data" and that "under Batista, the poor had food and did not lack electricity."
Another viewer, Juan Fernández, added that his "parents always said they had everything with Batista, that there was talk of corruption but nothing was lacking."
Esther Batista wanted to weigh the legacy left by Batista against the one that the Castros will leave. "Indeed, there was no lack of electricity, there were hospitals, there were medicines, buildings weren't falling down, there were tunnels, the roads were in good condition."
The granddaughter of the former president also emphasized her grandfather’s humble origins as key to understanding his connection with the Cuban people.
Batista ultimately came from a working-class background. My grandfather was very poor and was of mixed race," he noted, adding that "he was a man who learned everything on his own and came from the depths of poverty."
Batista's granddaughter explained that after watching a documentary about her grandfather, she realized that his humble background was not a political facade: "It's not that he thought of himself as a man of the people; he genuinely was a man of the people."
When contrasting that Cuba with the current one, the former president's granddaughter did not hold back in her harshness. "It is not the Cuba we are experiencing now, which is a disgrace. It is a disgrace and, of course, I sincerely hope that these people leave soon."
The interview took place the day after the formal charges against Raúl Castro in the United States, on May 20, 2026, Cuban Independence Day, when the Department of Justice brought charges against the former dictator and five former Cuban military officers for the downing of the planes from Hermanos al Rescate on February 24, 1996, which resulted in the loss of four lives.
Esther Batista, who has never visited Cuba for political reasons, acknowledged the distance between her rational analysis of her grandfather's legacy and the emotional bond she feels towards him. "For me, he is my grandfather. I never knew him, but I see the memories of my uncles, especially my father."
He also recalled a characteristic gesture of Fulgencio Batista that marked family memory, and several viewers of the program confirmed: the former Cuban president always ended his speeches with the words "Health, health, health."
Regarding the reconstruction of Cuba, Esther Batista expressed hope but realism. "I believe it is possible. It won't be rebuilt overnight, but it is a task that can be accomplished, and I trust that it will be."
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