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 who felt offended by a positive message I wanted to convey," said the content creator in the video.
The controversy originated from a segment 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 described that idea as "the most stupid thing I hear these days."
In that same interview, the influencer suggested as a solution: "Do you have nothing to do? Get up and go for a run, go to the beach, go to 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 punching bag and take it out on that to 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," though he acknowledged that he might not have used the right words: "If you felt offended by something for which I maybe didn't use the correct words..., I sincerely apologize."
The influencer also revealed, for the first time publicly, that he himself went through a difficult episode: "Yes, I went through that... it was a low point 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 concluded the video with a message 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 say."
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 don't have the appearance we expect," the specialist pointed out.
It also dismantled the argument that exercise is a remedy: "If depression could be cured by running, marathon runners would be immune, but they're not. Depression is a serious issue that deserves serious attention."
The reaction of Pollito Tropical's followers to the apology was mixed. While some defended him, arguing that his words were taken out of context or that the audience is overly sensitive, others pointed out that his original comments reinforce stigma and blame those who suffer from the illness.
The controversy fits into a broader debate about the responsibility of content creators when addressing mental health issues to large audiences, especially within the Hispanic community, where a cultural stigma remains that tends to reduce mental disorders to "lack of will" or "laziness."
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