Andy Ernesto Vázquez Toirac is a Cuban comedian born in 1975 in Baracoa, Guantánamo, Cuba.
At the age of 14, she appeared in the telenovela Prefiero las rosas by Raúl Pérez Sánchez. Subsequently, she made some appearances on regular shows on Cuban television such as Tras la huella, Jura decir la verdad, and No quiero llanto. She served as a judge on the popular comedy show on the island, Los amigos de Pepito.
Andy Vázques's opportunity came with his inclusion in the popular and notable comedy show Vivir del Cuento. His ability to portray such diverse characters as Facundo Correcto, Ángel Bueno (Aguaje), and Bienvenido Blanco Blanco earned him great popularity among the Cuban audience, establishing him as one of the leading comedians in the Cuban repertoire.
Along with the cast of Vivir del Cuento, he received several awards in Cuba at various festivals, such as Aquelarre (2002), the Television Festival (2013), the Caricato Award for Acting, and the Barrio Award, both in 2014, among others.
In 2016, during his visit to Cuba, the President of the United States, Barack Obama, participated in a sketch alongside the main actors of "Vivir del Cuento", where he played a game of dominoes with Pánfilo and Chequera.
In 2019, Andy made headlines after being removed from the cast of Vivir del Cuento and was suspended by the authorities of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television (ICRT). The incident was prompted by the alleged consequences within Cuba of the material titled "Las Chivate-rías de Facundo," where the character mentioned that the government would reinstate the basic, non-basic, and directed policy, which was used in stores in Cuba to regulate products in the early decades of Fidel Castro's revolution.
"Each Havana resident will be required to go to the Cuatro Caminos market once a month and will be allowed to purchase one of each product. The basic one is a meat product, and you can choose between chicken, pork, or lamb; the non-basic allows for a detergent, a floor mat, or tomato puree; and the designated one includes asparagus, seasoning, and fabric softener," she said.
The criticism arose from the incidents that occurred during the reopening of the popular Havana market Cuatro Caminos and the subsequent damages caused after its inauguration by a group of people who gathered at the site to shop.
Facundo's material made the authorities uncomfortable, and the artist was expelled from the popular television comedy.
In December 2019, he traveled to Miami, and although he initially suggested that he would return to the island, where his followers were asking for him to be given a second chance on the television show Vivir del Cuento, the comedian ultimately decided to stay.
From that moment on, Andy Vázquez had to deal with numerous threats made from the island as well as the disdain and insults characteristic of Cuban official media. The Ministry of Education (MINED) tweeted in February 2020 the message, “Is Andy Vázquez an misunderstood civic figure? Don’t kid around, tell that to someone else." In August 2020, the official journalist Jesús Álvarez López labeled the comedian along with other Cuban artists as "victims of weak legs.”
To the characters he already brought to life in Cuba, Andy has added Lina La Javá, who enjoys the most popularity, Amore H "La Calentica," among others, making him one of the most beloved comedians in Miami due to his artistic versatility.
