The Cuban influencer Pollito Tropical, whose real name is Randy Álvarez, posted a video on Instagram this Monday in which he apologized to those who felt offended by his comments about depression during an interview on Agostini Podcast.
"I want to come here one last time to apologize to those people who felt offended by a positive message I intended to give," said the content creator in the video.
The controversy arose from a snippet taken from his appearance in episode 78 of the Agostini Podcast, published in August, where Pollito Tropical stated that he does not understand "how someone can have time to be depressed" and called that idea "the most stupid thing I hear these days."
In that same interview, the influencer suggested as a solution: "Have nothing to do? Get up and go for a run, go to the beach, visit a forest, take a walk, go have a coffee alone."
Other phrases from the clip generated even more backlash: "Everything is mental, get out of that state of depression, start running, start exercising, buy a bag and hit it so you can see how all that depression goes away."
In his apology video, Pollito Tropical stated that the circulated clip "is not the original video" and that it was "taken out of context," although he acknowledged that he may not have used the right words: "If you felt offended by something where I might not have used the correct words..., forgive me, from the heart."
The influencer also revealed, for the first time publicly, that he had gone through a difficult episode himself: "Yes, I went through that... it was a low moment in my life that I wish I had never reached, but I had the ability to ask for help and get out of it, because it was very ugly."
He closed the video with a call to those in similar situations: "Always seek help if you don't have the ability, strength, or will to get out of there. Seek help, that's all I can tell you."
A very strong response to the original clip came from Venezuelan psychologist Alberto Barradas: "Being busy does not immunize anyone against depression. And precisely for that reason, many cases go unnoticed because they do not have the appearance we expect," the specialist noted.
He also dismantled the argument that exercise is a remedy: "If depression could be cured by running, marathon runners would be immune, and they are not. Depression is a serious issue that deserves serious attention."
The reaction of Pollito Tropical's followers to the apology was divided. While a portion defended him, arguing that his words were taken out of context or that the audience is excessively sensitive, others pointed out that his original comments reinforce stigma and blame those who suffer from the disease.
The controversy is part of a broader debate regarding the responsibility of content creators when addressing mental health issues to mass audiences, particularly within the Hispanic community, where a cultural stigma persists that often reduces mental disorders to "lack of willpower" or "laziness."
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