They consciously acted against the rights of their fellow citizens and actively participated in the destruction of civic values.
14ymedio, Pedro Corzo, Miami, 17 August 2025 — Even before the totalitarian system was imposed in Cuba, the Castro nomenklatura promoted false heroic narratives upon which the current system of absolute control was cemented, a task they have carried out with extreme efficiency, to the chagrin of the Cuban people and the misfortune of Nicaraguans, Bolivians, and Venezuelans, whose leaders turned out to be frauds every bit as much as the Castros.
These lies, all grandiose, such as Fidel Castro’s heroic participation in the assault on the Moncada barracks, the landing, read shipwreck, of the yacht Granma, and the deceptive military epics in the Sierra Maestra and Cristal in which the Castro brothers imaginatively squandered military genius and personal courage, these were the symphony on which they orchestrated a colossal plot supported by officials, military personnel and oppressors who were presented as upright citizens, selfless servants who served the country when in reality they were criminals who only sought their personal benefit while crushing the citizenry.
Disgracefully, a notable quantity of supporters of Castro’s totalitarianism believed this story. Some may have identified with the proposal with absolute sincerity and, in the dire present in which they lives they were completely frustrated on seeing the results for which they even imprisoned and killed, while others, the majority, bet on winning, aware of the atrocities in which they were complicit and choosing not to see the overcrowded prisons nor to hear the roar of the firing squad.
Those primarily responsible for the Cuban tragedy have been those who provided political, military and repressive services under totalitarianism.
There were many athletes from different fields, as well as outstanding individuals in professions, arts, and trades, who rejected generous offers of a better life and professional success because they believed, perhaps sincerely, that they were building a just and equitable society. This naiveté has left them mired in a miserable life in which they lack the most basic rights, while continuing to suffer degrading misery. Others, conversely, continue to fulfill their chosen role: executioners.
However, those primarily responsible for the Cuban tragedy have been those who served politically, militarily, and repressively under totalitarianism. They consciously acted against the rights of their fellow citizens and actively participated in the destruction of civic values.
The principle support of the Cuban system has been the military, and later, at a great distance, the repressive bodies and international intelligence forces, along with the diplomatic service.
From the very year of the triumph of the insurrection, in 1959, the military assumed control, while civilians were displaced. Society became militarized, and commanders became ministers. In these more than six decades in the military ranks, there has only been one defection, framed by a major question mark: the Arnaldo Ochoa case. This demonstrates a stability and loyalty unmatched in other government organs, including the Ministry of the Interior.
The Castros’ hegemonic appetites were always satisfied by their military, which, covertly or acting as international gendarmes, intervened on three continents without generating any questioning of the tyrant’s dictates.
The main support of the Cuban system has been the military and then, at a great distance, the repressive and international espionage bodies together with the diplomatic service.
They have always displayed discipline, a desire to serve, a mystique of glory, and unwavering obedience to the supreme leader. However, a recent article published in the Miami Herald and other media outlets confirms that the servile obedience of the Cuban generals is not the product of ethical or political convictions, but rather that the island’s generals are mere mercenaries seeking only their own personal enrichment and that of their families.
According to the report, the Cuban military, through the monopolistic Grupo de Administración Empresarial SA (Gaesa), controls assets totaling $18 billion.
The group operates in key sectors of the economy such as tourism, finance, construction, and transportation, while maintaining a significant presence in the rest of the Cuban economy. According to the report, Gaesa generated $2.1 billion in profits in the first quarter of 2024 alone. According to these documents, the flagship company is Cimex, a company that carries out retail activities, in addition to banking and international trade activities, reaching revenues of $2.1 billion.
These individuals, who can never plead ignorance or misinformation, were the bricklayers who supplied the necessary products and essential labor for the construction of totalitarianism. They were the ones who, in the heat of extremist fervor, understood that when their leader, the condottiere Fidel, exclaimed the slogan “the future belongs to socialism,” he was actually repeating a slogan from a pirate movie: “Take what you can, give nothing in return.” This is what they have done for these past 66 years: steal and kill.
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