Sandro Castro, grandson of the dictator Fidel Castro, confirmed on Monday the closure of his nightlife venue Bar EFE, located in El Vedado, Havana, during a live broadcast on TikTok along with the content creator known as «El Guajiro de Tiktok».
The live clip was shared on X by user @JaviXCubaLibre with the comment «Which of the two do you dislike more?», referring to both Sandro and his interlocutor, a Cuban resident in the United States who identifies as supportive of the Castro regime.
The content creator recently became the subject of controversy after journalist Mario Pentón revealed his identity as Jesús Arturo Blanco León and accused him of being involved in smear campaigns against journalists and activists critical of the Cuban government.
In an atmosphere of open camaraderie, Blanco León addressed the dictator's grandson and asked him if the rumors circulating in Miami were true that "Sandro Castro owns 15 nightclubs."
After laughing off the supposed rumors, Sandro clarified that he is only the owner of one establishment, which is now closed. "I've been closed for two weeks. So, it means that... I don't even have a nightclub anymore, I don't even have it, because it's there, but it doesn't exist," he admitted during the broadcast.
Fidel's grandson attributed the closure to the country's situation, making a veiled reference to the electricity crisis and the tightening of U.S. sanctions: "The climatic and energy conditions of your friends [referring to the U.S.]... with what they've imposed on us, it's impossible to work. It's closed just like the Factory of Art."
The EFE Bar is the only known business of Sandro Castro in Havana. In an interview with CNN in March 2026, Sandro himself stated that the establishment cost him $50,000 and denied having privileges due to his last name. U.S. Senator Rick Scott criticized the American network for giving a platform to Sandro Castro, accusing the network of softening the image of the Cuban regime.
In December 2024, Sandro celebrated his birthday at Bar EFE with an entrance fee of 1,000 Cuban pesos and a minimum consumption of 15,000 pesos per table, during a national blackout, boasting that his establishment "has electricity" while the rest of the country was in darkness.
The contrast with his past attitude is striking. Now, however, he claims that he tries to help his employees with the little that is available: "Sadly, that little bit left on the card, one tries to help the workers with that."
The closure of Bar EFE coincides with the widespread collapse of businesses and cultural spaces in Cuba. The Cuban Art Factory announced a temporary closure last Sunday, without specifying reasons or a date for reopening, just one day before Sandro made his statements.
The context is one of increasing pressure on the Cuban economy. On May 1, 2026, the White House expanded sanctions against the regime, extending the risk of punishment to companies operating in sectors such as energy, defense, mining, and finance.
Hotel chains such as Meliá, Iberostar, Blue Diamond, and Archipelago International have reduced or suspended operations on the island, and shipping companies like CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd have stopped container deliveries.
With clear sympathy for the dictator's grandson, "The Tiktok Country Boy" —who often refers to his host country as the "United Slaves"— conveyed his opinion on the American reality: "Sandrito, this is a country of slavery. This is a country where people are kept enslaved."
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