Andy Ernesto Vázquez Toirac is a Cuban comedian born in 1975 in Baracoa, Guantánamo, Cuba.
At the age of 14, he appeared in the telenovela Prefiero las rosas by Raúl Pérez Sánchez. Later, he made several appearances on regular Cuban television shows such as Tras la huella, Jura decir la verdad, and No quiero llanto. He participated as a judge on the well-known humorous program on the island, Los amigos de Pepito.
Andy Vázquez's opportunity came with his inclusion in the popular and notable humor program 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 Acting Award, 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 with the main actors of "Vivir del Cuento", in which he plays 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 triggered by the alleged repercussions within Cuba of the material titled "Las Chivate-rías de Facundo," where the character suggested that the policy of basic, non-basic, and directed products would be reinstated in the capital, a system that was used in Cuban stores to regulate products during 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 type of product. The basic item is a meat product, and options include chicken, pork, or lamb; the non-basic allows for one detergent, one floor mat, or one tomato puree; and the additional category includes asparagus, seasoning, and fabric softener," he said.
The criticism was sparked by the incidents that occurred during the reopening of the popular Havana market Cuatro Caminos and the subsequent damage 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 hinted 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 coming from the island as well as with the disdain and insults typical of the official Cuban media. The Ministry of Education (MINED) tweeted in February 2020 the message, “Is Andy Vázquez an misunderstood civic figure? Don't kid around, find someone else for that story." In August 2020, official journalist Jesús Álvarez López referred to the comedian along with other Cuban artists as "weak-legged victims.”
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.
