Andy Ernesto Vázquez Toirac is a Cuban comedian born in 1975 in Baracoa, Guantánamo, Cuba.
At 14 years old, she appeared in the telenovela Prefiero las rosas by Raúl Pérez Sánchez. Later, she had some appearances on regular television programs in Cuba such as Tras la huella, Jura decir la verdad, and No quiero llanto. She also participated as a judge on the well-known comedy program on the island, Los amigos de Pepito.
Andy Vázques' 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 humorists 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 El Barrio, 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 mentioned that the policy of basic, non-basic, and directed goods would be reinstated in the capital, which had been used in stores in Cuba to regulate products during the early decades of Fidel Castro's revolution.
"Each Havana resident will need to go to the Cuatro Caminos market once a month and will be able to buy one of each type of product. The basic item is a meat product, and you can choose between chicken, pork, or lamb; the non-basic items allow for one detergent, one floor blanket, or one tomato puree; and the targeted items include asparagus, flavoring, 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 vandalism 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 at first he suggested that he would return to the island, where his followers were requesting 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 the message, “Is Andy Vázquez an misunderstood civic figure? Give me a break, spare me that story.” In August 2020, state journalist Jesús Álvarez López referred to the comedian and other Cuban artists as "victims of weak legs”.
To the characters he was already portraying in Cuba, Andy has managed to add Lina la Javá, who enjoys the most popularity, Amore H "La Calentica," among others, which makes him one of the most beloved comedians in Miami due to his artistic versatility.
