Manolín, known as El Médico de la Salsa, recently unleashed a scathing critique of Mariela Castro during an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba. He highlighted the core contradiction of the Cuban regime: advocating for sexual diversity while completely suppressing freedom of thought.
"It's madness. I even think there's some mental delay there," the singer remarked, emphasizing his point with a stark statement: that Fidel and Raúl, through Mariela, "acknowledge sexual diversity. In other words, their freedom from the waist down."
Manolín left no room for ambiguity: "How can one reach the conclusion that sexuality is diverse and not arrive at the understanding that thought is diverse? How can they reach such a conclusion? Because they're shameless. They do what suits them."
The artist reiterated the term "shameless" three times to underscore this contradiction: "What a disgrace! What a disgrace! What a disgrace!"
In Manolín's view, Mariela does not act independently: "The Castros decide everything we do." Since 2000, Raúl Castro's daughter has directed the National Center for Sexual Education and has been the public face behind advances such as the Family Code, which was passed in a referendum in September 2022 with 66.87% approval.
Nevertheless, these advances have been widely criticized as contradictory. In May 2019, CENESEX itself canceled the official Conga against Homophobia, and an independent alternative march was forcibly suppressed by plainclothes agents.
For Manolín, the contradiction is not a logical error but a calculated decision: the regime authorizes what benefits it and suppresses anything perceived as a threat.
The singer extended his criticism to a geopolitical level, accusing the regime of having "undermined all of Latin America," harboring guerrillas and fugitives sought by the United States, and aligning with China and Russia. "You're in my backyard and providing a platform for them to catch me. These people are crazy," he asserted.
Manolín drew a parallel to the Russian invasion of Ukraine: just as Putin could not tolerate Ukraine moving closer to the European Union, the United States would have similar reasons not to allow Cuba to serve as a base for its adversaries. "They haven't wiped us off the map by sheer miracle. We haven't been erased from the face of the earth purely by luck, because the dictatorship has served us up on a silver platter. They've been doing it for years," he concluded.
He also emphasized that the Cuban people have always been left out of the decision-making process: "Every political, social, and economic decision in Cuba over the last 70 years has been made by the Cuban government without consulting us. We just pay the price for their mistakes."
This interview comes weeks after Manolín intensified his public criticisms of the regime. In April, he likened the dictatorship to a hostage situation and urged the people not to "save their executioners," and days earlier, he warned that "in Cuba, they don't call on the people for anything good" in response to a call from Díaz-Canel.
"We are the ones who endure the blackouts, the misery, the hunger, the scarcity of everything. They make the decisions because they have it all," Manolín concluded, summarizing in one sentence what he believes defines 70 years of dictatorship in Cuba.
Understanding Manolín's Critique of the Cuban Regime
What is the main contradiction Manolín points out in the Cuban regime?
Manolín highlights the contradiction of the Cuban regime promoting sexual diversity while repressing freedom of thought.
Who is Mariela Castro and what role does she play in Cuba?
Mariela Castro is Raúl Castro's daughter and has been the director of the National Center for Sexual Education since 2000. She is known for her advocacy in sexual diversity and the Family Code.
Why does Manolín believe the Cuban regime is acting in a calculated manner?
Manolín argues that the regime makes calculated decisions by authorizing what is beneficial to them and suppressing anything that poses a threat.