Fidel Castro's Grandson Resurfaces with Controversial Claim about Cuba's Health System

In a recent interview, Fidel Castro Smirnov, the grandson of the notorious Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, made a bold assertion that Cuba remains a "medical powerhouse," despite the island's healthcare system being in a state of severe crisis. Smirnov, a scientist with a doctorate in biology and a member of the International Medical Society, spoke with CNN, praising his grandfather's legacy in scientific and healthcare advancements. He highlighted the training of doctors and the biotechnological development in the country.

These statements, made during an academic gathering in Chile, starkly contrast with the harsh realities faced by millions of Cubans: overcrowded hospitals, critical shortages of medicines, lack of essential supplies, and a mass exodus of healthcare professionals. While Smirnov emphasizes the historical achievements of the revolution, patients on the island are often forced to rely on the "medical fine," the black market, or external aid for survival.

The grandson of the former ruler spoke about his grandfather's "strategic vision" in promoting biotechnology and the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), an institution that has graduated thousands of foreign doctors. According to Smirnov, these programs demonstrate the "humanistic and supportive" nature of the Cuban system. "They are doctors trained in humanistic principles, treating healthcare as a human right, not a business," he stated.

During the discussion, Smirnov defended investments in research and the creation of centers like the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center or the Molecular Immunology Center, presenting them as cornerstones of Cuba's international prestige. However, access to these medicines and technologies remains out of reach for the majority of citizens, who face deteriorating hospitals, lack of antibiotics, and a shortage of basic equipment. The official narrative, now echoed by Fidel Castro Smirnov, deliberately overlooks the structural decay of the healthcare system.

"Cuba shows development in nuclear medicine today. We even have an accelerator for the production of radiopharmaceuticals. We have also incorporated molecular imaging applications, positron emission tomography," Smirnov asserted, while cancer patients suffer from lack of access to these diagnostics. In reality, Cuba has transitioned from being a "medical powerhouse" to a country with a healthcare system in critical condition, where even a simple consultation depends on political connections or the ability to pay in foreign currency.

The contrast between the regime's propaganda and the actual living conditions is stark: while they insist on promoting an image of medical prowess to the world, the population endures an unprecedented decline in healthcare services. The words of the dictator's grandson, rather than reflecting the truth, seem like an attempt to mask the crisis with a discourse inherited from the same official rhetoric that denies Cuba's ruin.

Castro, a Full Member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences and a Full Professor in Nuclear Physics and Principal Researcher at the Higher Institute of Technologies and Applied Sciences (Instec) in Havana, traveled in late August to Valparaíso for the XII Meeting of Graduates of the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM). He is one of three children from the marriage between the Russian Natasha Smirnova and Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart, who committed suicide in Havana in February 2018, according to official reports.