The house that was given to Yilian Rondón Velázquez has damp walls and beams full of woodworms.
14ymedio, Havana, 20 August 2025 — A house in very poor condition was given to the captain of the Granma and Cuba softball teams, Yilian Rondón Velázquez, at the celebration of Fidel Castro’s 99th birthday. According to the complaint published by ’Yoel al Strike’ on Facebook, the house in Manzanillo, Granma, “seems to be a shelter, a warehouse or a barracks.”
The “incentive” given to the national selection of the sport for 15 years, was a house with “damp walls.” In addition, emphasizes the post, “in the support for the beams, there is a maggot [that parasite that devours the wood little by little and comes out when the evil is already done].”
There are photos showing the carelessness in the remodeling of the house. “When painting, they did not take into account the protection of the landing, and it was covered with slag from the welding of the roof.” Also, “they dropped the tiles from a meter high, and they are uneven, without color and with joints that look like the tributaries of the Amazon.”
Yoel Rosales Wert, the owner of the Facebook space Yoel al Strike, pointed to the president of the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation, also national commissioner, Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, for delivering a home that “does not have the slightest aesthetic, comfort and much less safety,” and who obtained four international contracts “contributing to the economy” of the Island.
“Don’t tell me that there are heroes and Olympic champions who have no home,” added Rosales.
The incentives to athletes, coaches and sports stars have often been questioned for their poor conditions. At the end of July, the coach of the five-time Olympic champion Mijaín López and other medallists, Raúl Trujillo, received a vehicle with more than 190,000 kilometers on it and worn-out tires.
The “dedication and loyalty” of Trujillo, “one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Cuban struggle,” was recognized by the regime with a vehicle withdrawn from tourist rental. A car, stressed Rosales, with “three 14-inch tires and one 16-inch tire, without a spare. In addition, they are smooth, and there are two visible bumps on the body.”
The damaged vehicles with which the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation recognized the fidelity of their sports heroes have been evidenced on other occasions. The gold medalist at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, Erislandy Alvarez, said months ago that “they gave me shit” and that the only thing that worked on the Hyundai Grand i10 “is the engine.”
The boxer said he “spent almost $5,000” to restore it. “These are things that are not published when they report it. This shows no respect. A tire even blew out on me; thank God nothing happened,” he said on his networks, referring to an official press release. Shortly thereafter, he deleted the post.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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