Sandro Castro, the notable grandson of the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro, shared a new video this week that highlights the deteriorating fuel and water shortages in Cuba. These issues are just a few of the troubling outcomes from the communist regime that his family imposed.
“We’re living in a circus,” Castro remarked, comparing his car to Cuba, stating it’s “not moving forward.”
Sandro Castro identifies as a “filmmaker,” “digital creator,” and “influencer,” attracting about 160,000 followers on social media. He often claims in interviews that he has experienced an “unprivileged” life and insists that his lineage does not afford him any “special status” in Cuba. Yet, he operates EFE Bar, a well-known nightclub in Havana that reflects a lifestyle far removed from the poverty most Cubans face due to decades of failed communist policies.
Recently, his online content has included ambiguous critiques of his family’s regime and the current climate in Cuba. He often mixes humor into his commentary about gasoline shortages and the ineffective garbage collection in Havana, even creating sketches where he impersonates figures like former President Donald Trump.
In a video released on Monday, Castro featured himself and an unidentified woman in a car, opening with the caption “Circus is new.” He suggested they listen to a snippet of Bad Bunny’s 2022 song “El Apagón,” which critiques power outages in Puerto Rico.
“I don’t see your car moving,” the woman noted, to which Castro responded with the same observation about her car, adding, “my car is like the country; it just won’t move forward.”
He later joked that since the car was a “model Hyundai without gas,” they should bring along “two small animals.” He playfully hummed the chorus of The Tokens’ 1961 song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” while asking the woman if she was “tired” and suggesting they take a break in the trunk.
Castro remarked, “Oh, that’s so nice, girl. Just like life. Mami, I had you destroyed — similar to the country’s power grid,” referencing Cuba’s collapsing infrastructure.
Following a comedic break featuring the cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants,” the video implied an intimate encounter between him and the woman. The woman expressed her annoyance over the lack of a fan in the trunk and requested water. The scene shifted to the two standing before an empty fountain, with the woman reminding Castro of the absence of water.
“In any case, please don’t fight. This is a circus,” Castro told her, wishing everyone “blessings.”
The video continued with a clip from the children’s movie “Madagascar,” where a penguin character states, “You didn’t see anything,” and it cut to an abandoned circus in Cuba. This peculiar video marked Castro’s latest attempt at subtly critiquing the regime.
CNN aired a favorable interview with Castro earlier this month. During the segment, he claimed his content had warranted questioning from state security but asserted he was released due to never advocating for violence. The regime is known for severely punishing those who criticize its governance.
Shortly after the CNN interview, Castro spoke with a Colombian news outlet, emphasizing that his content is comedic yet also serves as a critique of the current situation in Cuba. He again denied any privileges due to his family background.
“There is no immunity. My content has shifted away from politics,” he stated, insisting his critiques are subtle and non-violent, while he respects the government as part of living on the island.
“I see myself as a local person and take pride in that. I’m 100 percent Cuban,” he added.
The censorship imposed by Cuba’s communist regime seems to extend to criticisms of Sandro Castro, contrary to his claims of lacking special privileges. In early April, Michel Torres Corona, a prominent state television propagandist, accused the regime of censoring his critical shows, preventing him from airing denunciations of Castro.
In a released video, Torres Corona voiced his frustration at those, including Sandro Castro, who casually criticize the government, suggesting their only achievement was their family lineage.
