Latest news with #Cubans
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
In Mexico City, two icons of Cuban repression are banished
But for all the radical chic they inspired, and despite the swooning of countless Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Yet even after all these years, they are still celebrated as Advertisement When Castro and Guevara came to power in Cuba in 1959, they quickly consolidated their control through terror. Political opponents were hauled before kangaroo courts and executed at what became known as 'el paredón,' the wall where executions took place. Those they killed, recounted ' At the Havana fortress of La Cabaña, Guevara personally oversaw mass executions. 'A revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate,' Even after the revolution's early days, This month — July — evokes a particularly On July 13, 1994, more than 70 Cubans crowded onto an old tugboat, the '13 de Marzo,' and set out from Havana under cover of night, desperate to reach Florida. Seven miles off the Cuban coast, they were intercepted by government vessels. The security boats rammed the tug repeatedly, smashed its hull, and trained high-pressure hoses on the passengers — Advertisement The tugboat massacre is only one entry on the long list of A row erupted after the sculpture was removed from the park in Cuauhtémoc last week. Among those complaining was Mexico's president, Claudia Sheinbaum, who insisted that the 'historic moment' represented by the statues merited a public tribute of memory. As the Mexican journalist Carlos Bravo Regidor Symbols matter. Statues and monuments help shape a society's collective memory, and to enshrine Castro and Guevara in bronze was to enshrine the lies they told and the suffering they caused. Their sculptures on a bench in the heart of Mexico's capital was a declaration that their partnership was something admirable and worthy of commemoration, perhaps even something to emulate. In reality, it was a partnership in despotism, and it brought misery to millions. Rojo de la Vega's order to cart away the monument was an act of moral hygiene. May the removal of the statues in Mexico City be only a prelude to the removal of their dictatorship in Havana — and to the day when the Cuban people can finally breathe free. Advertisement Jeff Jacoby can be reached at
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
Fidel Castro's grandson slammed for flaunting lavish lifestyle amid Cuba's economic crisis
At a time when Cuba is grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades, Fidel Castro's grandson, Sandro Castro, is drawing widespread criticism for showcasing his extravagant lifestyle on Instagram. According to El País, the 33-year-old, who has over 1.2 lakh followers, regularly posts clips of himself cruising in luxury cars through Havana, partying on yachts with bottles of Cristal beer, and hosting high-end gatherings at his private club, EFE Bar. In one recent video, Sandro appeared to mock the ongoing blackouts in Havana, where residents are often left without electricity for up to 20 hours a day. In another clip, he called Cristal beer 'medicine that must never be missing from his bar.' He also filmed himself urging US President Donald Trump to 'give opportunity and life to the migrant,' at a time when Cuba is witnessing one of its largest exoduses in modern history. Sandro Castro is the son of Alexis Castro Soto del Valle, one of Fidel Castro's five sons from his second marriage. Fidel Castro, who led the Cuban Revolution and ruled for nearly five decades, was known for promoting values of austerity, discipline, and sacrifice. His grandson's public displays of wealth stand in stark contrast to the ideals the former leader propagated. Born when Fidel Castro was 65, Sandro was raised in the elite gated community of Punto Cero in Havana, far removed from the economic hardships faced by most Cubans. According to the Daily Mail, Sandro also frequently shares videos from El Patrón, a countryside resort that charges around $100 a night—more than four months of the average Cuban salary, which is just $16.50 a month. Cuba is currently facing an unprecedented financial crisis, marked by severe shortages of food, fuel, and medicines. Inflation is soaring, and the island nation's import-heavy economy has suffered a 30% drop in foreign currency revenue in recent years, as per a Reuters report published in July. Amid this turmoil, videos of Sandro's lavish parties, where entry fees reportedly touch 1,000 Cuban Pesos and table reservations cost up to 15,000 CUP, have triggered anger and disbelief among citizens. This isn't the first time Sandro has sparked backlash. In 2021, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he went viral for a video shot inside a luxury Mercedes-Benz. After facing online outrage, he later clarified that the car belonged to a friend and he was merely 'testing it out.'
News18
2 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Fidel Castro's Grandson, Sandro Castr,o Called Out For Lavish Life
Last Updated: Fidel Castro's grandson, Sandro Castro, who is an influencer, often shares videos and pictures of his luxury lifestyle. Cuba is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. But one man stands out from this struggle, Sandro, the grandson of the famous Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Sandro, who is an influencer, often shows off his luxury lifestyle, unlike most Cubans. On his social media, Sandro Castro was seen chilling on yachts, driving fancy cars and throwing lavish parties. Recently, Sandro posted videos to joke about power outages in Havana. The post didn't sit well with many, and Sandro Castro was criticised for his lifestyle. Who is SandroCastro? He is the son of Rebecca Arteaga and Alexis Castro Soto del Valle, one of the five children Castro had with Dalia Soto del Valle, who remained by Fidel's side until he died. He is the son of Alexis Castro Soto del Valle, one of Castro's five sons. He was raised in Punto Cero, a secure and private area. Unlike most Cubans, who lived with limited resources, Sandro grew up in luxury. Sandro is believed to be making money through his nightlife businesses like EFE and Fantaxy. Some also think he earns from his presence on Instagram and also from family owned assets, but nothing is officially confirmed. Cuba's economy is in deep trouble, as most people earn only around $16.50. Prices of general items keep going up and there are regular shortages of basic things like food, fuel and medicine. Power cuts are common, sometimes for 16 to 20 hours a day. In the middle of all this, Sandro continues to show off his fancy lifestyle. In some of his social media videos, Sandro Castro makes fun of the Cuban government and its problems. For example, he once joked about the high internet costs and also made fun of the long power cuts. In other posts, he talked about food shortages by joking there's no chicken, showed the US flag in the background and asked Donald Trump to help migrants. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sandro Castro (@sandro_castrox) In a chat with El Pais, a young Cuban named Juan Pablo Pena shared his view on Sandro. He feels that Fidel Castro grandson is not an unusual case, but actually a clear example of what the system has created. According to him, Sandro represents a group of people who took over power while using words like fairness and justice. But instead of helping others, they used that language to protect their own position and pass on their power like a family legacy. top videos View all 'The dictator's grandson turned influencer is the terminal stage of a narrative that once promised to be redemptive and ended up being parasitic. Sandro is not just privileged — he's a grotesque satire of Castroism. Sandro is the product of a social experiment that failed, but refuses to die," Juan said. Those who are against the government say Sandro Castro is making fun of ordinary Cubans by showing off his rich lifestyle. At the same time, people who support the government feel that he is not living like the Castro family should. tags : Fidel Castro viral news view comments Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: July 22, 2025, 17:02 IST News viral Fidel Castro's Grandson, Sandro Castr,o Called Out For Lavish Life Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Manny Pacquiao vs. Mario Barrios: Who has edge, from boxer who fought both
Keith Thurman, the former welterweight world champion boxer, earned unique insight into the welterweight matchup between Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios set for Saturday, July 19. He did it by getting in the ring with both men. Thurman went 12 rounds with Pacquiao in 2019 and suffered a split-decision loss. He went 12 rounds with Barrios in 2022 and won by unanimous decision. But the only man who knocked him down was Pacquiao, who dropped Thurman in the first round. So, of course, that's his pick to win the fight, right? Well, not quite. During an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Thurman addressed several scenarios as Pacquiao returns to the ring at 46 and the 30-year-old Barrios defends his WBC welterweight world title. Pacquiao has won world titles at eight divisions. With a victory against Barrios Saturday in Las Vegas, he would become the first boxer to win a world title after being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. 'A big question mark is (whether) Pacquiao is still capable of such feats,'' Thurman said. Boxing News: Manny Pacquiao training includes stop at Raiders facility Pacquiao vs. Barrios: Sizing up the fight While Thurman said he doesn't know how being 46 will affect Pacquiao in the ring, he seized on something else he said could make a big difference – size. Barrios is 6-0, 6 ½ inches taller than the 5-5 ½ Pacquiao. In addition to being taller, Barrios is also the bigger fighter, according to Thurman. 'He's got a really big size for a lightweight that moved up to welterweight because of his height and his reach,'' Thurman said of Barrios. 'And Manny Pacquiao is not one whose body size is an advantage at welterweight either. 'His major advantage throughout his career was his speed and his agility and a lot of the awkward angles that he is used throughout his career and really just his expertise.'' In his last fight, Pacquiao lost to 5-9 Yordenis Ugas by unanimous decision after Ugas made good use of his reach advantage. Barrios is three inches taller than Ugas, and Thurman recommends a similar strategy for Barrios. 'Keeping your distance boxing on the outside the way that the Cubans normally do, not taking chances and Pac just having to try to make up that gap and work his legs after a layoff,'' Thurman said. 'His legs were not really there. That's my concern (for Pacquiao). 'I think Manny Pacquiao would win via some kind of TKO. He would have to create a knockdown and then take the momentum of the knockdown and finish the fight. And the reason why I see this potentially happening is because Mario Barrios does not have the most sophisticated defense. That's the only downplay. I think that's the road to victory for Manny Pacquiao is the lack of the defense from Mario Barrios.'' Boxing picks: Pacquiao vs. Barrios, Usyk vs. Dubois expert predictions for packed fight weekend 'The major coin toss' Against Barrios, Thurman said he had success when he threw a pump fake to work his way in. 'Then boom, boom, throw a few creative combos and it was easy to land on Mario Barrios,'' he said. 'And the one thing Manny Pac's notorious for is creative combos. So that's the major coin toss to me is Mario Barrios, his defense.'' While Pacquiao might be slower, Thurman said he expects the aging boxer to be powerful. 'If he gets lucky, the power shot might be there, and with his craftiness and his knowledge of being in the ring, he might be able to do something,'' Thurman said. 'And if he does, it's not a big surprise for me because that's what world-class, elite, legendary fighters are potentially capable of.'' For Barrios, Thurman said he does not recommend rolling with the punches. 'His team needs to have a game plan,'' Thurman said. 'I think it's very essential at this level sometimes when you're going up against just competition in general. 'Because Mario Barrios is the younger guy and because Ugas was able to keep (Pacquiao) on the outside…make him use those legs. Make him prove to us that those legs are still as explosive.'' Pacquiao's bulging calves once functioned like pistons. But the strength and stamina of Pacquiao's legs remain an unknown, given he's been out of the ring for almost four years. 'So make him use those legs,'' Thurman said. 'Don't just stand there. Work behind your jab. Mario Barrios is a long fighter and one of the things that I complimented him post-fight was, out of all the champions I've ever faced, I was really surprised that Mario Barrios had one of the best jabs that I've ever been in the ring with.''
The Hill
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Cuba is in crisis — the US has a chance to act
This spring, thousands of Cubans gathered in Havana's Revolutionary Square to mark the nation's Labor Day celebrations. Only this year, there was nothing to celebrate. Cuba is experiencing a national catastrophe, and the Cuban people are growing increasingly desperate. In the midst of likely the most severe economic crisis to affect the island, on May 1, the Cuban government pressured its citizens to attend the annual gathering. It's been reported that some 600,000 were present in Havana, with millions attending similar ceremonies across Cuba. But participation in such rallies is hardly voluntary — it is the price one pays for access to state benefits, including employment, housing, education, food rations and other necessities. Despite drastic shortages of water, food, medicine and fuel that have crippled Cuba in recent years, on this day, all assets of the government were used to facilitate attendance at the Revolutionary Square event. And that's because this gathering, like others, was intended to serve as an act of political will, meant to convey a public message of support for the ailing Cuban government. Although Cuba's leadership changed in name in 2019 to Miguel Diaz-Canel, Raúl Castro is still believed to be in charge behind the scenes. Despite turning 94 last month, he appears to remain the center of power, wielding significant influence over political, economic and military matters. Under his guidance, social control measures remain all-encompassing, beginning at the community level with the neighborhood Committees in Defense of the Revolution, the Brigades of Rapid Response, the National Revolutionary Police, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., which facilitates the Cuban military's control over the economy. All of these government structures, reminiscent in some cases of George Orwell's writings, have ensured the continuation of Cuba's one-party system for the last 66 years. Today, the greatest concerns of the Cuban government are the incessant electricity outages. Once largely restricted to Cuba's outlying provinces, the blackouts are now also frequent in the capital. They are the direct result of government incompetence that has led to fuel shortages and aging infrastructure; without a doubt, they make daily life extremely challenging. In March 2025, following a major failure at a substation, much of the country was without power, leading to vast work and school closures. This was the fourth such national outage in six months. For a country already suffering from abysmally low monthly incomes, no functioning economy, and decaying living standards, it's no surprise that the population has grown increasingly discouraged. Although the Cuban government continues to blame the nation's challenges on the U.S. economic embargo, the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes to U.S. travel policy, each day it appears fewer and fewer Cubans accept these excuses. In the last several years, an estimated 1 million Cubans have emigrated, representing a loss of roughly 10 percent of Cuba's population. And protests, once extremely rare, have become a relatively more common occurrence. In early June, students at the University of Havana began protesting a sharp hike in internet and cell phone service fees set by the government-run telecommunications company. This entity, largely owned by Cuba's military, is said to be well financed by Cuban exiles who purchase cellphone packages for their families on the island and represents an important revenue source for the Cuban government. For Cuba's leadership, these price hikes are also likely intended to curtail internet usage — an important strategy for a government that aims to control all access to information. Another government concern is the lack of access to foreign and hard currency reserves to facilitate trade, specifically for the import of much needed food and medicine. Once the recipient of financial support from the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, followed by Venezuela under President Hugo Chávez, today Cuba is without an economic benefactor. Although Cuba still benefits from political support from Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and others, these allies cannot (or will not) effectively assist Cuba economically. Add to that Cuba's foreign debt, which is said to be extremely high, leaving the country severely constrained when it comes to trade. Against this background, the new Trump administration has made changes to U.S.-Cuba policy. As part of his sweeping cuts to USAID, President Trump cancelled Radio and TV Martí, two longtime stalwarts in the U.S. soft assault against Cuban communism. Since taking office, the Trump administration has also moved to redesignate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, and approved the re-creation of the Cuba Restricted List, which prohibits transactions with companies associated with the Cuban government. In late January, the administration also announced that it had opened the door via Title III of the LIBERTAD Act, to 'bring private rights of action involving trafficked property confiscated by the Cuban regime.' More recently, following record-setting outward migration from Cuba, the Trump administration moved to end the 'humanitarian parole' program that had allowed a designated number of Cubans to enter the U.S. under temporary legal status. On June 4, the U.S. announced a partial travel ban on Cubans wishing to enter without an existing visa. And Trump's 'big beautiful bill' includes a tax on remittances, affecting Cuba's largest source of foreign revenue. Today, Cuba is facing a devastating moment. Over six decades of revolution have taken their toll. Cuba's leadership remains unwilling to enact the commonsense democratic reforms necessary to alleviate suffering and return dignity to its people. As Cuban citizens continue to find small, but meaningful ways to express their discontent, it is time for the international community to raise awareness of Cuba's desperate reality — and to demand change from its leadership.
