In Cuba, Castro's 'influencer' grandson causes a stir
For others locked in a daily struggle for survival, the younger Castro's high-flying lifestyle and apparent lack of empathy is offensive on a whole different level.
On his Instagram account, Sandro regales his 127,000 followers with images of him partying, at times with scantily-clad women, often with a beer in hand.
He is sometimes dressed as a monk or a vampire, sporting cat whiskers or the jersey of the Barcelona football club.
From time to time, he mocks the struggles engendered by the country's worst economic crisis in three decades.
"I woke up today with my favorite recipe, chicken with beer... but there is no chicken,' he says in one post while holding up a bottle of the national lager, Cristal.
He also jokes about the power outages that have plagued the island, suggestively addressing a woman with the words: "If I caught you like the UNE (electric company), I'd get you every four hours, Monday to Monday."
The character entertains some, annoys others, but never fails to make a splash.
Castro's followers jokingly refer to him as the "next president," but voices aligned with the communist government are demanding he be silenced.
Loyalist historian and author Ernesto Limia complained on Facebook that Castro "does not respect the memory" of his famous grandfather, who led the revolution that toppled a dictatorship and installed a communist government.
"El Necio," an online influencer, has argued that Sandro Castro "goes against the security of this country" and "against the ideals" of the revolution.
Despite his famous name, some believe Castro may be pushing his luck.
Activists and critics in Cuba are often rounded up for sharing anti-government views, and several are serving sentences for crimes such as "contempt" or disseminating "enemy propaganda."
'Little toys'
Manuel Cuesta Morua, a dissident historian who has been detained multiple times for his democratic activism, said the Sandro phenomenon embodied "the distance of the grandchildren's generation from the original revolutionary project."
It also put Castro in stark contrast to the rest of his family, who unlike him enjoy their privileged status "discreetly," he said.
While Fidel Castro was alive, Cubans knew very little about his second wife Dalia Soto del Valle and their five sons -- one of whom is Sandro's father, Alexis Castro Soto del Valle, 63.
The family lived out of the public eye in Punto Cero, an extensive wooded area west of Havana with access controlled by the military.
In 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Sandro came into the spotlight in a leaked video that showed him driving a luxurious Mercedes-Benz.
"We are simple people, but every now and then we have to take out these little toys we have at home," he said in the clip that went viral and sparked public outrage, forcing him to apologize.
Three years later, he caused another stir by celebrating his birthday at a bar he owns in the capital, burning massive neon lights and dancing on tables as the country reeled from the after-effects of a massive blackout.
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France 24
20 hours ago
- France 24
In Cuba, Castro's 'influencer' grandson causes a stir
It is a pastime some find entertaining, even fair commentary, but the 33-year-old is coming under increasing scrutiny from those loyal to Cuba's communist project for disrespecting his ancestor's legacy. For others locked in a daily struggle for survival, the younger Castro's high-flying lifestyle and apparent lack of empathy is offensive on a whole different level. On his Instagram account, Sandro regales his 127,000 followers with images of him partying, at times with scantily-clad women, often with a beer in hand. He is sometimes dressed as a monk or a vampire, sporting cat whiskers or the jersey of the Barcelona football club. From time to time, he mocks the struggles engendered by the country's worst economic crisis in three decades. "I woke up today with my favorite recipe, chicken with beer... but there is no chicken,' he says in one post while holding up a bottle of the national lager, Cristal. He also jokes about the power outages that have plagued the island, suggestively addressing a woman with the words: "If I caught you like the UNE (electric company), I'd get you every four hours, Monday to Monday." The character entertains some, annoys others, but never fails to make a splash. Castro's followers jokingly refer to him as the "next president," but voices aligned with the communist government are demanding he be silenced. Loyalist historian and author Ernesto Limia complained on Facebook that Castro "does not respect the memory" of his famous grandfather, who led the revolution that toppled a dictatorship and installed a communist government. "El Necio," an online influencer, has argued that Sandro Castro "goes against the security of this country" and "against the ideals" of the revolution. Despite his famous name, some believe Castro may be pushing his luck. Activists and critics in Cuba are often rounded up for sharing anti-government views, and several are serving sentences for crimes such as "contempt" or disseminating "enemy propaganda." 'Little toys' Manuel Cuesta Morua, a dissident historian who has been detained multiple times for his democratic activism, said the Sandro phenomenon embodied "the distance of the grandchildren's generation from the original revolutionary project." It also put Castro in stark contrast to the rest of his family, who unlike him enjoy their privileged status "discreetly," he said. While Fidel Castro was alive, Cubans knew very little about his second wife Dalia Soto del Valle and their five sons -- one of whom is Sandro's father, Alexis Castro Soto del Valle, 63. The family lived out of the public eye in Punto Cero, an extensive wooded area west of Havana with access controlled by the military. In 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic, Sandro came into the spotlight in a leaked video that showed him driving a luxurious Mercedes-Benz. "We are simple people, but every now and then we have to take out these little toys we have at home," he said in the clip that went viral and sparked public outrage, forcing him to apologize. Three years later, he caused another stir by celebrating his birthday at a bar he owns in the capital, burning massive neon lights and dancing on tables as the country reeled from the after-effects of a massive blackout.
France 24
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- France 24
Cuba activists say detained on anniversary of 1994 anti-Castro protest
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France 24
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Ion Iliescu: democratic Romania's first president
The influential politician was last seen in public in 2017 when he was questioned by prosecutors. That probe related to his role in the violence during the fall of communism which led to more than 850 deaths and saw him face charges of crimes against humanity. Fallout with Ceausescu regime A communist party apparatchik born on March 3, 1930, Iliescu served as former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's minister for youth. But in the 1970s he fell into disgrace and was marginalised. He rose to power during the December 1989 anti-communist uprising that toppled Ceausescu, under circumstances that remain unclear, becoming the self-appointed leader of the National Salvation Front, an interim governing body. Iliescu then won a landslide victory in the country's first democratic elections in May 1990. He was reelected for a four-year term in 1992, but was defeated at the polls in 1996, only to return to power in 2000 for a third term -- the most allowed by the Constitution. During this last term Romania joined NATO in 2004 and signed the European Union accession treaty, with membership becoming effective in 2007. The former Moscow University graduate was elected to Romania's Senate in 2004 but did not run in subsequent elections, arguing that a secondary role in politics was more appropriate for a man his age. He nonetheless continued to be revered by many Romanians, especially in impoverished rural regions. His advice still counted when his Social Democratic Party -- -- a successor to the National Salvation Front -- was faced with major decisions. "Iliescu was a man of dialogue and not a bit confrontational. He would rather try to convince people than give orders," sociologist Vasile Dancu, a fellow Social Democrat who knew Iliescu well, told AFP. He said "consensus" was one of the former president's favourite words. 'Canny politician' "He was an affable, well-read man, who knew how to flatter people but who could also be manipulative," a former French ambassador to Romania, Henri Paul, told AFP. "A canny politician through and through." Iliescu never disavowed his hardline leftist views and blasted the "bloodsucking" western countries and international financial institutions. Over the past two decades, Iliescu had faced charges of crimes against humanity over the violence during the fall of communism. In a separate case, he was also indicted over the decision to call in miners to crush student protests after his election in 1990. The crackdown brought widespread international condemnation. But due to legal wranglings, Iliescu has not stood trial in either case. Iliescu has denied any wrongdoing, at one point describing it as "a disgrace for Romania to indict the head of state who played a major part in its democratisation". Though he was one of the few top-ranking Romanian politicians not to be suspected of illicit enrichment, high-level corruption flourished during his terms in office and analysts said the independence of the judiciary was often trampled on. "I'd rather be poor but honest than rich and a thief," he used to say. Iliescu, who spoke fluent English, French and Russian, was married with no children. His wife Nina was only seen in public when the couple went to the polls, once every four years. The government announced his death in a statement on Tuesday, after he was hospitalised with lung cancer in early June. It declared August 7 a day of national mourning in his memory.
