Ana Hurtado Criticizes Norwegian Embassy's Cleanup Effort in El Vedado

Spanish propagandist Ana Hurtado launched a verbal attack on Sunday against a community cleanup event organized by the Norwegian Embassy in Cuba. The initiative, set to take place at the park on 21st and H in El Vedado, was accused by Hurtado of having "hidden agendas" and allegedly funding "absolute subversion within Cuban territory."

The Norwegian Embassy, in collaboration with the community project Vive El Vedado, had posted a video on Facebook inviting local residents to join the cleanup scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, from 1 to 3 in the afternoon.

“Taking care of public spaces is a responsibility we all share. With increasing amounts of trash in our areas, we want to start changing that,” a representative from the embassy stated in the video.

Questioning the Intentions

Hurtado did not dispute the need for cleaning up the neighborhood but rather questioned the supposed motivations behind the organizers' initiative.

“It would be fine if they focused solely on collaborating, helping, and contributing without hidden motives. Let’s remember that this embassy, along with two or three others, is dedicated to financing absolute subversion within Cuban territory. Nice initiative, but the intentions should also be nice,” Hurtado remarked on her social media platforms.

The Irony of Criticism

Interestingly, back in September, Hurtado herself had expressed surprise at the accumulation of refuse in the same neighborhood. Despite the clear benefits of the Norwegian diplomatic mission's initiative, Hurtado prioritized her ideological fanaticism over any concrete actions that might improve the living conditions of Cubans.

The Norwegian Embassy has a history of funding independent journalism initiatives and supporting sectors of Cuban civil society, but this does not substantiate Hurtado's accusations of "subversion."

Norwegian Support for Cuban Initiatives

In 2016, the media outlet Periodismo de Barrio received $1,905 from the diplomatic mission for the “Historias del agua” project. More recently, La Joven Cuba acknowledged Norwegian support for its 'La Sobremesa' platform, while Magazine AM listed the embassy among its financial supporters.

Additionally, in 2016, then-Ambassador John Petter Opdahl openly acknowledged his country’s support for pro-democracy movements. However, backing independent journalism, culture, or civic engagement is not equivalent to financing subversive activities, as the Spanish propagandist suggests.

Norway's Documented Activities in Cuba

Norwegian activities in Cuba have included a 2020 cultural grant with a maximum of 5,000 CUC per project and humanitarian donations of $400,000 after hurricanes Oscar and Melissa, channeled through multilateral organizations.

Hurtado's attack falls within a pattern of declarations serving the regime. In July 2026, she proposed a pot-banging protest in front of the U.S. embassy, which she called the "embassy of hate," and in October, she defended Raúl Castro with the slogan “mess with Raúl, mess with me.”

The Context of Cuba's Sanitation Crisis

Arriving in Cuba in October 2022, Spanish citizen Hurtado contributes articles to the state-run media Cubadebate and Telesur. Her favored position within the regime's circles is attributed to her marriage to Senén Casas Más, who announced their wedding in April 2025.

According to a Martí Noticias investigation from August 2026, Casas Más—son of the late General Senén Casas Regueiro—is a figure linked to Alejandro Castro Espín's circle, with over forty foreign missions and access to MININT diplomatic passports.

Meanwhile, Havana continues to struggle with a sanitation crisis that the regime has failed to address: earlier this year, only 44 out of the 106 garbage trucks in the capital were operational due to diesel shortages and breakdowns, while the city produces 24,000 to 30,000 cubic meters of waste daily with only half the necessary containers.

In this scenario, the cleanup event scheduled for Tuesday at the park on 21st and H is precisely the kind of community action Havana residents need, regardless of who initiates it. However, for Ana Hurtado, Cubans have no other needs than to sacrifice for the so-called "revolution" and the "achievements of socialism."