“It pains me a great deal that people can’t live as I do,” Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro tells USA Today
14ymedio, Madrid, July 6, 2026 /Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro may never become Cuba’s Delcy Rodríguez, but he himself is convinced otherwise. “I don’t consider myself a politician. Politics has never interested me. But if at some point the Revolution asks it of me, I would do it,” says Raúl Castro’s grandson to USA Today.
The US outlet published an extensive piece this Monday, the product of two interviews with El Cangrejo (The Crab) – as he is popularly known on the island because of a congenital defect – and more than a dozen people from his circle, who together sketch a revealing portrait of the man who apparently holds a key role in talks with the US. “If I’m designated, I can negotiate with anyone selected by the US Government. Given the opportunity, of course with Trump,” he says bluntly.
Rodríguez Castro reveals few things to the outlet. One of the more novel disclosures is, possibly, that the regime is open to releasing “people considered political prisoners” under certain unspecified conditions. He also states that “Cubans and Americans whose assets were confiscated in the 1960s” will be compensated, without discussing terms – something that had already been outlined recently.
One of the more novel disclosures is, possibly, that the regime is open to releasing “people considered political prisoners” under certain unspecified conditions
El Cangrejo has certain ideas about how he envisions a Cuba in a future he sees as very near, though he offers no specifics. There will be, he claims, “so much prosperity that it’s hard to imagine,” and his model, while it will have elements of China or Vietnam, will be “innately Cuban.” “Soon Cubans will be able to find in Cuba everything they seek in other countries,” he said.
USA Today states that a former US official has confirmed that, for months now, “Washington has been discreetly assessing Rodríguez Castro as a possible channel of communication.” This is backed by Ricardo Herrero, executive director of the Cuba Study Group, who argues that the current administration “has contributed to creating Raulito. It has managed to build consensus among the different groups within the Cuban state in favor of opening up the market. But that’s not enough for those around Rubio, who are seeking political change, not just economic change,” he notes.
One need only read the piece to understand that El Cangrejo is an heir in every sense, not only by blood. “I don’t know if you’re a believer, but if there’s anything I believe in, it’s these two men,” he tells the reporter, showing him a gold medallion engraved with the initials FCR and RCR on either side. Rodríguez Castro poses for a photo in front of a large image of his grandfather and great-uncle together, recounts that his only son – he has two daughters from previous marriages – born in June, is named Raúl Alberto, after his grandfather and his father, who was president of GAESA when he died in 2022, and explains that the first time he heard his family spoken ill of, he brushed it off.
“I know these men. They are good people. The men who made this revolution were fair, but they weren’t fools,” he maintains. He also speaks glowingly of his grandmother, Vilma Espín, whom he describes as an “extremely sweet” woman who “taught me the role Cuban women should have in society.” El Cangrejo is described as a tall man with light green eyes, dressed for the first interview – held in what was once his grandfather’s office at the Palacio de Convenciones in Havana, home of the National Assembly – in a Hugo Boss T-shirt and Hermès sneakers.
Part of his biography stems from his standing as the general’s favorite. “He’s the preferred grandson,” says Frank Mora, professor of Politics and International Relations at Florida International University. “Raúl Castro trusted his father, and he is the grandson he loved most.” Since age 18 he has lived with his grandparents and has spent much of his life surrounded by officials and military officers. He holds a degree in Accounting and Finance and studied at the Los Camilitos military school.
According to USA Today, he usually rises at 5 a.m. to review classified reports from the Ministries of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, and the Armed Forces, stores them in a luxury-brand leather portfolio, and discusses them with his grandfather, whom he publicly calls “minister.”
According to ‘USA Today’, he usually rises at 5 a.m. to review classified reports from the Ministries of the Interior, Foreign Affairs, and the Armed Forces, stores them in a luxury-brand leather portfolio, and discusses them with his grandfather
Rodríguez Castro is a privileged man, and in his case, he makes no attempt to hide it. On the contrary, he says it causes him suffering that the rest of the population cannot live as he does. The article discusses his favorite cities, his personal indulgences, and his frequent travels. “It pains me a great deal that people can’t live as I do. My greatest regret is that people struggle. But I get up every day to try to change that,” he asserts. Still, he notes that nothing is truly his, that everything is given to him or he is invited to enjoy it.
His relationship with Marco Rubio – meetings and conversations – is addressed in the piece, though without any new details beyond what was already known. Victor Mellor is also mentioned, with whom he met this past June. Some of those interviewed believe that the absence of sanctions against El Cangrejo reveals just how relevant he is to Washington, while others believe he carries less weight than it appears.
“He holds no official position in the Government. Cuban officials are very clear about who officially represents the State,” said Illinois Democratic Representative Jonathan Jackson, who visited Cuba in April to meet with senior officials and considers Rodríguez Castro irrelevant.
“Rodríguez Castro is Raúl Castro’s avatar and holds a great deal of power as long as his grandfather remains alive,” said María José Espinosa, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Engagement and Advocacy in the Americas.
“Raulito is powerful. He has access. He’s someone the White House can talk to. But he can’t act outside Cuba’s political system,” argues an expert from University College London.
According to ‘USA Today’, what he has been is the chief overseer of the deal with Vanguard Energy
According to USA Today, what he has been is the chief overseer of the deal with Vanguard Energy, the Coral Gables, Florida-based company that was to export large quantities of fuel to Cuba and which suddenly fell through – a case that reflects the division within the US administration itself over what takes priority, politics or business.
El Cangrejo declined to tell USA Today details about what he discusses with Washington, saying he “understands the complexity of the moment.” He meets with the reporters a second time, on this occasion at the private restaurant El Antojo. He shares little, but his demeanor during the meeting – described in detail by the outlet – once again speaks volumes about him.
On his way out, a Cuban embraces him, the outlet reports. “My blood, I know that with you the lights will come back on in Havana,” the stranger tells him. “In a certain sense,” USA Today concludes, “he already holds command.”
Translated by GH
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