The first public appearance of Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as "El Cangrejo" or "Raulito", grandson of the dictator Raúl Castro, unleashed a wave of indignation and mockery among Cubans on social media.
On Friday, a day after the regime approved 176 economic measures before the National Assembly, El Cangrejo gave its first interview to an international media outlet to defend that package of reforms and call for dialogue with Washington.
The question that dominated the comments was not about the economic measures, but about the legitimacy of the one defending them: Raulito holds no official position in the Cuban government and has not been elected through any democratic process.
He has been a Colonel in the Ministry of the Interior and the head of the General Directorate of Personal Security for Raúl Castro since 2016, a role that thousands of Cubans simply identify as the grandfather's bodyguard.
"Being Raúl Castro's grandson does not grant authority to speak on behalf of Cuba. To officially represent a country, one needs a position or official appointment," wrote a user, summarizing the majority sentiment.
Another widely shared comment pointed to the heart of the matter: "What bothers me most about all this is that it treats the situation as if it were a property dispute. Cuba is not a property; it is a country where people live, who have been turned into slaves, hostages of a single family."
The nickname "The Crab" sparked a wave of ironic reactions. "But crabs walk backward," one person wrote. "The people will move at the pace of the crustacean, while they go full speed ahead," added another.
"After 67 years, Raúl Castro and his grandson identified the faults and outlined the strategies to follow for the coming decades. 'Nothing to fear,' quipped a third party."
The question "And does he talk?" was repeated in dozens of variations, reflecting the surprise at the public appearance of someone who had until now operated in the shadows.
"I thought he was mute," wrote one user. "Finally, the crown prince spoke," noted another. "A powerful bodyguard. It's like a movie," summarized a third.
Several comments directly questioned the motivations of El Cangrejo and his family for advocating for economic openness at this time. "It's obvious he will defend it if it works for him 100%," wrote a user.
"Of course he agrees; it's like a passport to continue living off the people," added another. "I imagine he has to defend it because it's very likely that his source of income lies in the new economic model," pointed out a third.
Axios revealed in February 2026 that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was holding secret conversations with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro to explore transition scenarios, avoiding the Communist Party and Miguel Díaz-Canel.
In May, the CIA director, John Ratcliffe traveled to Havana and met with El Cangrejo, solidifying him as the main informal channel between the regime's leadership and Washington.
In the interview with the international outlet The National, Raúl Guillermo was explicit about the limits of the reforms.
"We want to achieve an economic model that is more open, with greater participation from national and foreign private capital... and for that, we do not have nor are we willing to transform the Cuban political system."
He also acknowledged that negotiations with the Trump administration have not progressed: "I would like to answer yes to that question, but the reality is that no."
The context in which this figure emerges is one of extreme pressure on the regime. Since January 2026, the Trump administration imposed oil restrictions through Executive Order 14380, leading to blackouts of more than twenty hours a day.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, warned that children are dying in Cuba due to a lack of medication. And the U.S. Department of Justice formally charged Raúl Castro for the downing of two planes from Hermanos al Rescate in 1996, resulting in four fatalities.
The U.S. described the 176 economic measures this Saturday as "superficial smoke signals," while Vice President JD Vance responded cautiously: "We'll see what they do. If they make smart decisions, we will have a much better relationship with that island."
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