Cuban actor Armando Tomey stole the show at the Miami premiere of the second season of "Maldita Raíz" on Tuesday at the Manuel Artime Theater, recalling a daring incident in Cuba that could have had severe repercussions: the night he shouted "Down with Fidel!" at a Havana hotel, leading to his arrest.
In front of an audience filled with actors and Cuban exiles, Tomey recounted the story with humor, despite it being a confrontation with one of the Cuban regime's taboos. The video of his anecdote was shared by Tomey on Facebook and by content creator Leo Brito on Instagram.
A Night of Defiance in Havana
The incident took place when Tomey was already a well-known face on national television. After receiving his salary, he joined a Cuban woman and several Mexicans for a night out. The group ended up at the Hotel Comodoro, where something—"a catalyst," as he described it—triggered his bold outburst.
Clinging to a jeep, Tomey began shouting at the top of his lungs: "Down with Fidel, damn! Down with Fidel, damn!"
The group then moved to the Marina Hemingway for food and drinks, initially thinking the incident would go unnoticed. However, upon their return to the Comodoro, they were met by five police patrols.
An Artist's Unexpected Arrest
"Are you Armando Tomey?" one officer inquired. Tomey attempted to downplay the situation, suggesting that only someone out of their mind would act as he did. "You'd have to be crazy or drunk to shout like that. I don't think I did it," he claimed.
His tactic was short-lived. A hotel security guard recognized him from his TV work and identified him to the authorities: "That's Armando Tomey; I know him from 'Las Aventuras' and the soap operas. He shouted 'Down with Fidel.'" The outcome was swift: "They took me to jail," Tomey recounted, met with laughter and applause from the crowd.
"They released me because I was a famous artist," he explained, noting that his celebrity status likely spared him from harsher consequences. "If it were someone less fortunate, they'd still be imprisoned."
Reflecting on Freedom of Expression
The experience allowed Tomey to reflect on how the same phrase could be either permitted or punished in Cuba, depending on the context. During his graduation from the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in 1981, he performed in "La Emboscada," a communist-themed play where he and Leopoldo Morales played "bandits."
"We were the only ones allowed to shout 'Down with Fidel! Down with communism, damn!' on stage. I felt so happy!" he reminisced with laughter.
A Message to Cuban Artists
Tomey used his time at the "Maldita Raíz" premiere on Pronyr TV to address artists still living in Cuba. "I tell those artists they need to embrace their role in this historical moment and be more critical of that disgusting communist system," he declared.
He praised actor Luis Alberto García, who remains in Cuba and has courageously criticized the regime publicly. "One of Cuba's greatest actors, damn, and he's in Cuba, enduring it, yet he has the courage to speak out daily against the regime's atrocities," Tomey expressed.
Born in Camagüey in 1955, Tomey is part of a generation of actors closely tied to the television memories of many Cubans. His roles in productions like "Sol de Batey" made him a familiar face on the island. He emigrated to the United States in 2013, citing economic hardships and a lack of creative freedom in Cuba as his reasons. From exile, he has remained openly critical of the Cuban government, recently calling the Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel "a donkey with fangs" in another video.
Armando Tomey's Impactful Protest
Why did Armando Tomey shout "Down with Fidel"?
Armando Tomey shouted "Down with Fidel" as a spontaneous act of defiance against the Cuban regime while he was out with friends at a hotel in Havana.
How did Armando Tomey avoid severe consequences for his actions?
Tomey believes his fame as a well-known television actor helped him avoid harsher punishment, as he was released after being detained.
What was Tomey's message to artists still in Cuba?
Tomey urged artists in Cuba to be more critical of the communist regime and to take on their role in this significant historical period.