The Cuban actor Erdwin Fernández Collado paid an emotional tribute this Thursday to his friend and colleague Carlos Massola, who passed away in July 2024, and expressed his sorrow that his name is often forgotten when recalling the artists who openly opposed the Cuban regime from within the island.
In a post on Facebook, Fernández Collado particularly praised Massola's bravery, who during his final years publicly denounced the Cuban crisis, demanded the release of political prisoners, and directly held the authorities responsible for the country's situation.
"Today, when we mention the Cuban actors and artists who raise their voices against the dictatorship from within Cuba (since the fat one could never come and go), many forget or overlook it, sometimes unintentionally," wrote Fernández Collado, who has been living in Miami for about three years.
The actor emphasized that Massola never resorted to euphemisms or softened his words to avoid repercussions, despite being inside Cuba and lacking the ability to enter and exit the country freely.
"Massola did not write 'intelligent,' soft, or convoluted texts to avoid 'looking for' trouble; Massola was direct and brutal, doing it live and in person without any written mediation, 'to the bread, bread, and to the Dictatorship, Dictators,' with no holds barred and names mentioned," he recalled.
For Fernández Collado, that circumstance makes the stance taken by his friend even more significant.
"That was the fat one, a friend more courageous than many I know, and also the most forgotten," he stated.
A voice that became uncomfortable from within Cuba
Carlos Massola, born in Havana on February 27, 1962, developed a extensive career in Cuban cinema, television, and theater. He is remembered by audiences for his work in productions such as Tras la Huella and Tierra Brava, as well as for his performances in films like Juan de los Muertos (2011) and El Benny (2006).
However, in the final years of his life, his name began to gain prominence for something unrelated to the characters he portrayed: Massola decided to publicly denounce the reality that Cubans were living without leaving the island.
In August 2023, he starred in one of his most memorable protests when he showed his refrigerator practically empty to highlight the food shortage that was also affecting his home.
Months later, he directly questioned Miguel Díaz-Canel about the existence of political prisoners and demanded their release. In December of that year, after watching the film Plantadas, he publicly expressed his hope for political change in Cuba: "Someday this dictatorship will fall."
In January 2024, just a few months before his death, he met in Havana with activists and family members of political prisoners, in a new display of solidarity with those suffering from repression.
A death marked by precariousness
Massola passed away on July 3, 2024, at the age of 62, in the midst of a precarious situation and after suffering from severe health issues.
The cause of death was hypovolemic shock, as certified by a family doctor.
Days before his passing, the actor sent a chilling audio message in which he described suffering from vomiting blood and severe diarrhea. He also mentioned that he had fallen and lay on the ground for hours because he was unable to get up.
His daughter, Jessenia Massola Sablón, later reported that the hearse took about seven hours to arrive to collect her father's body. The actor's remains were cremated, in accordance with his wishes.
The difficulties surrounding his final years have not disappeared for his family either. At the end of July 2026, Jessenia publicly sought help after part of the floor in her home in San Miguel del Padrón, Havana collapsed.
The incident occurred while they were digging an artisanal well due to the water supply issues they were facing in the area.
More than two years after Massola's death, Fernández Collado aimed to preserve not only the memory of the actor but also to highlight the cost of having spoken openly from a country where criticizing those in power can have personal and professional repercussions.
His message ended with a promise to his former friend: to ensure that his name would not vanish when discussing the Cuban artists who chose to denounce the regime from within the island.
"That is why Massola, wherever there is talk of an ACTOR who raised his voice boldly from Cuba, I will mention you, because what belongs to Caesar belongs to Caesar, but my dear Massola deserves the courage and recognition he deserves... above many, above us," he concluded.
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