Amidst the daily hardships faced by millions of Cubans, including power outages, food shortages, and an unrelenting crisis, a prominent voice of the regime's official narrative is touring Spain, portraying a version of reality that many both inside and outside Cuba find unrecognizable.
Marxlenin Pérez Valdés, the host of the state-run program Cuadrando la Caja and the wife of one of Fidel Castro's grandsons, recently delivered a lecture in Gijón titled "Imperialism in Communication: The Case of Cuba." Her talk is part of a tour organized by pro-regime solidarity groups.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper La Nueva España, Pérez Valdés argued that Cuba is the victim of an international "media war" aimed at discrediting the government. According to her, criticisms are part of propaganda campaigns designed to "decontextualize" the island's reality.
Her statements have sparked controversy. One of her most contentious claims was that Cuba is "one of the countries with the most freedoms in the world," dismissing ongoing reports of censorship, lack of political pluralism, and repression.
Freedom Claims Meet Reality
Pérez Valdés's assertions starkly contrast with the current situation in Cuba, where human rights organizations, activists, and independent journalists report an escalation in repression against those who express dissent.
Recent years have seen a surge in arrests, surveillance, threats, and legal actions against protesters, dissidents, and journalists outside state control. The recent protest in Morón exemplifies this trend.
Defending the Indefensible
Despite these conditions, the academic maintains that the Cuban system guarantees rights and participation, echoing the official narrative she promotes on television and social media.
"Regarding the political system, we have a single-party system, but it's a system where the party neither nominates nor elects the candidates," she stated, adding, "We are characterized by popular power bodies, and there is a constitution that was reviewed with public participation. Therefore, we do not consider ourselves lacking in rights, quite the opposite."
In the interview, the regime's spokesperson also condemned the United States for a January 3, 2026 operation in Venezuela, labeling it as a display of "imperialism" and criticizing Venezuelans who celebrated the event as "irrational."
Controversial Past and Connections
Pérez Valdés, a Doctor in Philosophical Sciences and former Marxism professor at the University of Havana, is not new to controversy. In 2025, she referred to critics of a program suggesting Cubans should cut down on rice and potato consumption during shortages as "worms."
As part of the elite connected to power, Pérez Valdés is married to Fidel Castro Smirnov and has openly expressed admiration for Miguel Díaz-Canel and his wife Lis Cuesta.
Blaming External Forces
During her tour in Spain, she continues to place almost exclusive blame on the United States for Cuba's economic crisis, describing it as a prolonged "economic war." Although she acknowledges internal errors, she downplays them compared to the impact of external sanctions.
However, for many Cubans, daily life paints a different picture: rampant inflation, struggling hospitals, medicine shortages, and a mass exodus that has emptied entire neighborhoods.
Nevertheless, Pérez Valdés maintains that the Cuban people "are not afraid" and continue to resist external threats.
Her tour will proceed in cities like Oviedo and Avilés, aiming to strengthen international support for the regime. Meanwhile, within Cuba, there is a growing sense of the widening gap between the official discourse and the harsh realities of everyday life.
Understanding the Discrepancies in Cuba's Political Narrative
What claims did Marxlenin Pérez make about Cuba's freedoms?
Marxlenin Pérez claimed that Cuba is one of the countries with the most freedoms in the world, contradicting widespread reports of censorship and repression.
How does the regime's narrative compare to life in Cuba?
While the regime promotes a narrative of guaranteed rights and participation, many Cubans experience daily hardships such as inflation, shortages, and repression.
What is the impact of the United States on Cuba's economic crisis, according to Pérez?
Pérez attributes Cuba's economic crisis mainly to a prolonged "economic war" waged by the United States, while minimizing internal errors.