While millions of Cubans endure power outages of over 30 consecutive hours and struggle to ensure a breakfast, the stepson of the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel and the grandson of Raúl Castro often frequent one of the most exclusive private gyms in Havana.
The journalist Mario J. Pentón revealed on his Facebook account that a source in Havana sent him images from inside the gym Pura Vida Mente-Cuerpo, confirming that Manuel Anido Cuesta —son of Lis Cuesta Peraza— was paying for a personal trainer at that location.
The same source revealed that another VIP client of the gym is Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as "El Cangrejo," the grandson of Raúl Castro. The membership is not for everyone’s budget. According to Pentón, the cost is around 750 dollars per month.
"The Cuban people deserve to know how corrupt the leaders, the children of leaders, and the grandchildren of leaders are. While they are asked to sacrifice, to endure, to spend sleepless nights without electricity, and are unable to provide a decent breakfast for their children, look at how they spend their money, living like good capitalists," wrote the journalist.
The gym that has everything, except a pool
The Pura Vida Mente-Cuerpo is located at Calle 88 No. 525, between 5th C and 7th, in the Playa municipality, one of the most affluent areas of Havana.
The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, numbered electronic lockers, personal trainers, and its own café with a menu that includes natural juices, protein shakes, meats, salads, sandwiches, and specialty coffee, as well as a sports supplements store.
Some customers of the establishment point out on social media that it only needs a pool to be the perfect gym in Cuba.
The detail that stands out the most from the reality of the country is that the gym has photovoltaic solar panels installed on the roof. The establishment itself announced it on its Instagram account as an improvement in sustainability: "We have incorporated solar panels to make Pura Vida a more efficient and sustainable space."
On August 12, the gym announced on Instagram a temporary closure from August 15 to September 1 to carry out maintenance and improvements on its facilities and equipment.
Manuel Anido Cuesta was sanctioned by OFAC on June 4, 2026 alongside Díaz-Canel and Lis Cuesta, under Executive Order 14404, due to his connection with the power structure of the Cuban regime.
Anido Cuesta, identified by OFAC as a resident of Madrid, also controlled a strategic consulting firm registered in the Spanish capital for nine months.
El Cangrejo, a colonel in the Ministry of the Interior and head of Raúl Castro's personal security, emerged as a public figure in 2026. In July, he gave an interview in which he stated: "It deeply hurts me that people cannot live like I do".
The phrase accurately summarizes the chasm that separates the regime's elite from a Cuban people who, just a few kilometers from the Pura Vida gym, endure scarcity, hardships, and blackouts that make it impossible to even turn on a fan at night.
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