The ongoing clash between Cuba's ruling government and independent journalism reignited recently. Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, a former spy and now the national coordinator of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), launched a public tirade against Cuban journalist Mario J. Pentón. The controversy arose from an unexpected meeting between Pentón and another member of the infamous Cuban Five, Fernando González Llort, at Madrid's Barajas Airport.
Hernández, under his Facebook alias "Gerardo de Los Cinco," directly insulted Pentón while praising his former espionage colleague's supposed bravery. "My brother Fernando González Llort doesn't need anyone to defend him, but seeing the insolence of this right-wing character, I wondered: 'How long would this tough guy have lasted in the punishment cells where Fernan spent years?'" Hernández questioned. "Would he have survived - like Fernando - among Latin Kings and Salvatruchas, amidst Crips and Bloods...? Or would he have spilled the beans on day one?" he added.
The criticism followed Pentón's viral social media video, where he confronted González Llort—currently the president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP)—with the question: "What are you doing in Spain while the people of Cuba survive in misery and power outages?" Accompanied by a Cuban diplomat and another woman, González refrained from answering and avoided the cameras. Even when police were called, Pentón recounted that the officers not only allowed the filming to continue but expressed solidarity with the call for Cuban freedom.
"You thought calling the police would get me in trouble or erase my video. Spain isn't Cuba. Quite the opposite, they showed support for the Cuban people's desire for liberty," Pentón declared in his post.
Other exiled journalists reacted strongly in the comments on Hernández's post. José Raúl Gallego emphasized that Pentón resides in a free, democratic country, where he faces no imprisonment since he abides by the law, unlike the Cuban Five. Gallego reminded Hernández of his complicity in murder, stating, "Decent people like Mario only go to jail under dictatorships like Cuba, where rights like freedom of expression are punished. So cut the cheap bravado; you're just a common informer who even ratted out taxi drivers on vacations."
Fernando González Llort was convicted in the U.S. for espionage activities as part of the Wasp Network and was repatriated to Cuba in 2014 under a deal negotiated by the Obama administration. Since then, he has held high-ranking positions in the regime's political structure and frequently travels abroad.
Pentón recorded his video while returning to the U.S. from Spain, where González was attending official events organized by the Cuban embassy, celebrating the 65th anniversary of Cuban solidarity. Accompanying him was the Minister of Public Health, José Ángel Portal Miranda.
"Amid Cuba's crisis and blackouts, these officials are globetrotting with Cuban citizens' money," Pentón denounced on his YouTube channel, receiving thousands of supportive messages. This confrontation highlights the widening divide between Cuban power and its exiled critics, underscoring the impunity with which regime officials travel internationally while those on the island endure one of the worst crises in decades.
Questions About the Recent Confrontation Between Gerardo Hernández and Mario Pentón
Why did Gerardo Hernández attack Mario Pentón?
Hernández attacked Pentón following the journalist's encounter with Fernando González Llort in Spain, where Pentón questioned González about his activities abroad while Cubans suffer at home.
What was Fernando González Llort's response to Mario Pentón's questions?
González Llort did not respond to Pentón's questions and avoided the cameras while a Cuban diplomat called the police, who eventually sided with Pentón's freedom of expression.