Andy Ernesto Vázquez Toirac is a Cuban comedian born in 1975 in Baracoa, Guantánamo, Cuba.
At 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 also served as a judge on the well-known comedy program on the island, Los amigos de Pepito.
Andy Vázquez's opportunity came with his inclusion in the cast of the popular and renowned 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, thus 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 with the main actors of "Vivir del Cuento" in which he plays a game of dominoes alongside Pánfilo and Chequera.
In 2019, Andy made headlines after being excluded 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 repercussions within Cuba of the material titled "Las Chivate-rías de Facundo," where the character stated that the policy of essential, non-essential, and directed goods would be reinstated in the capital, a practice used by stores in Cuba to regulate products during the early decades of Fidel Castro's revolution.
"Each Havana resident will have to go to the Cuatro Caminos market once a month and will be able to buy one of each product. The basic item is a meat product, and they can choose between chicken, pork, or lamb; the non-basic item allows for either a detergent, a floor mat, or a tomato puree; and the directed item includes asparagus, seasoning, and fabric softener," he said.
The criticism was prompted by the incidents that occurred with the reopening of the popular Havana market Cuatro Caminos and the subsequent damage caused after its inauguration by a group of people who gathered there to shop.
Facundo's material unsettled the authorities, 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 typical of Cuban state media. The Ministry of Education (MINED) tweeted in February 2020 “Is Andy Vázquez an misunderstood civic figure? Give me a break, not this story again.” In August 2020, state 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 managed to add Lina la Javá, the most popular one, Amore H “La Calentica,” among others, which make him one of the most beloved comedians in Miami for his artistic versatility.
