Narciso Amador Fernandez Ramirez, a well-known figure associated with the Cuban Communist regime under Castro, reportedly resides in the U.S. thanks to the Biden administration’s “humanitarian parole” program, with help from Cuban-American journalist Mario Penton. Reports surfaced this Thursday.
The outlet Cuban Net detailed that Fernandez Ramirez, 65, previously served as the vice director of Vangaldia, the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party in Villa Clara, Cuba.
In Cuba, propagandists like him have a reputation for harshly criticizing the Cuban diaspora in the U.S., often labeling them as “rats” or “gusanos,” which has a specific derogatory context.
Fernandez Ramirez is recognized for his contributions to the official writings of the late Fidel Castro. Among his works, published on Castro’s website, is a piece from 2019 where he denigrates Cuban émigrés, and another from 2017 that extols Castro himself, portraying him in almost reverent terms alongside Jose Marti, the revered figure of Cuban history.
Penton revealed that Fernandez Ramirez has been living in Homestead, Florida, since March 2024, having received “humanitarian parole.” This program, initiated by former President Biden in 2023, allows a monthly intake of up to 30,000 individuals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to apply for legal residence and work permits for “up to two years” through sponsors.
According to an anonymous source, Fernandez Ramirez is awaiting a Green Card, aiming to access benefits like Social Security and Medicare. Despite his staunch communist past, he’s now enjoying retirement in a country that, well, feels quite different to him.
Currently, he resides in Homestead with his wife, Elizabeth Rial, and their daughter, who had previously been in the United States.
A Florida-based immigration lawyer, Ismael Labrador, pointed out that a simple Google search would reveal Fernandez Ramirez’s history as a propagandist for the Cuban Communist Party, which could jeopardize his eligibility for immigration benefits.
Labrador explained that cases like this are unfortunately not uncommon under the humanitarian parole program. If it’s found that Fernandez Ramirez misrepresented his past as part of his residency application and concealed his affiliations with the Cuban regime, he might face denials for the Green Card and could even be subject to deportation for immigration fraud.
Cuban Net also noted that Fernandez Ramirez was an avowed adversary of young Cuban journalists and was implicated in the censorship and political persecution efforts within his publication. In a 2014 protest letter, he was criticized for his role in stifling dissent, both in terms of editorial freedom and employment opportunities for journalists.
Another individual from this protest letter described Fernandez Ramirez as someone who followed Communist Party directives closely, using his platform to promote the glory of Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution.
Interestingly, the emergence of Fernandez Ramirez in the U.S. closely follows reports of Hector Alejandro Hernandez Morales, a senior Cuban official and former bodyguard to Fidel and Raul Castro, who is also seeking U.S. residency under the Cuban Adjustment Act.
Neither Fernandez Ramirez nor Hernandez Morales appear on a recent list of over 100 known Cuban repressors currently in the U.S., presented by Rep. Gimenez. This list, curated from reliable sources, includes details of at least 115 known Cuban officials who have relocated to the United States since February 2023, utilizing immigration policies set forth by the Biden administration.
