Fidel Castro’s Grandson Sees Cuba as His Grandfather's "Scientific Experiment"

Fidel Antonio Castro Smirnov, the grandson of the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, has increasingly become a vocal defender of his grandfather's legacy. Recently, he offered a unique perspective on how Fidel Castro governed Cuba, likening him to a scientist who turned an entire nation into his "experiment."

The Scientist's Grandson

Castro Smirnov, a man deeply entrenched in the scientific community, draws from his background to make this comparison. He holds a doctorate in Biology and Physical Sciences, is a tenured professor of Nuclear Physics, a senior researcher at the Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (InSTEC), and a full member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.

As the son of the late nuclear scientist Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart, known as Fidelito, Castro Smirnov has balanced his academic pursuits with frequent appearances at political events, conferences, and forums both inside and outside of Cuba, where he champions his grandfather's image and defends the Cuban system.

Cuba: A Nation Under the Microscope

In an interview with teleSUR from Birán, Holguín, Castro Smirnov utilized his scientific training to portray Fidel Castro, the mastermind behind the '10 Million Ton Harvest' and the 'Energy Revolution,' as a researcher. "I can reiterate that Fidel was a scientist and acted like a researcher," he asserted.

He elaborated that Castro employed a "scientific method of thought," gathering information and making decisions based on this methodology. However, the analogy took on a new layer when Castro Smirnov described what his grandfather's laboratory material might have been.

"His object of study was not a sample in a test tube or a Petri dish. We are talking about a nation, with all its historical, political, economic, and social consequences," he stated, emphasizing the profound impact of Cuba being his grandfather's 'subject.' This statement is especially poignant as it comes from a family member who annually parachutes from a plane to honor his grandfather's 'legacy.'

The Unintended Laboratory

Castro Smirnov, seemingly oblivious to the implications of his words, presented this idea as a compliment to highlight his grandfather's supposed analytical prowess. However, it inadvertently painted Cuba as a socio-political laboratory: a country observed, studied, and altered by a leader employing experimental methods.

"The experiments often had irreversible consequences," the scientist further elaborated on this analogy, acknowledging the lasting impacts of Fidel Castro's 'experiments.'

The Birán Origin

Castro Smirnov traced the roots of this scientific approach to Birán, the village in Holguín where his grandfather was born in 1926. During the interview, he described the area as "sacred" and recalled Fidel Castro's upbringing among agricultural labor, impoverished workers, and Haitian laborers.

"From his earliest years, he lived among the land and alongside very poor and humble people. It seems to me that this place became his first observation laboratory," he explained. This experience, according to Castro Smirnov, allowed Fidel to witness social inequalities and develop a philosophy that reality must first be understood before it can be transformed.

Fidel's Methodology

When asked about his grandfather's methodology, Castro Smirnov highlighted several principles. The first was to "study real problems" rather than relying solely on "abstract theory." He emphasized the importance of information accumulation in decision-making.

Castro often conveyed that having more information than necessary was rarely problematic, whereas a lack of information always posed an issue. He also described Fidel's ability to connect disparate disciplines, integrating biological data with geographical and historical contexts.

Another key aspect, according to Castro Smirnov, was Fidel's openness to revising ideas based on new knowledge, never considering them definitively concluded.

Defender of Fidel's Legacy

The interview highlights Castro Smirnov's growing public role as a defender of his grandfather's legacy. In recent months, he has participated in political gatherings and international events in countries like the UK, Russia, and Spain, where he intertwines scientific references with his defense of the Cuban regime and Fidel Castro's persona.

His admiration for his grandfather is not new. In 2017, he declared that Fidel's "DNA" was present in millions of revolutionaries, asserting, "My name is Fidel, and my life is called Fidel."

In the interview from Birán, he reaffirmed this identification. "Of course, all Cubans want to be like Fidel," he claimed.

Cuba: Fidel's Grand "Experiment"

Castro Smirnov sought to portray his grandfather as a leader who employed scientific knowledge to solve problems and predict the future. However, the metaphors he chose inadvertently offered a more unsettling depiction of the dictator's power.

In his narrative, Birán was the "first observation laboratory"; Fidel was a "scientist" and an "investigator"; his "object of study was a nation," and his decisions were "experiments" with potentially "irreversible" consequences. This unintentionally revealing description underscores a system where Fidel Castro's political, economic, and social decisions directly impacted the lives of millions of Cubans, reducing them to a state akin to the Haitian laborers employed by his father in Birán to increase his wealth.