Mario Pentón Confronts Pro-Castro Supporters Attempting to Disrupt Bogotá Book Event

The book launch of Cuban historian and political scientist Oscar Grandío at the Bogotá International Book Fair (FILBo) escalated into a heated confrontation when two Colombian citizens burst into the event, shouting in defense of the Havana regime and trying to derail the proceedings.

This incident unfolded at the Cuba Program stand, a space dedicated to critical analysis of the island's current situation.

A video shared on social media by journalist Mario J. Pentón captured the moment two individuals began to disrupt the presentation with slogans, labeling Miami-based dissidents as "fascists," and claiming that Cuba has "the best healthcare system in the world," which was met with immediate disapproval from event participants.

One attendee countered the individuals by pointing out that during the pandemic, even the most neoliberal governments globally, including Iván Duque's Colombia, invested in social spending, unlike Cuba, where resources were directed to hotel construction instead.

The regime's supporters loudly argued that the island boasted an excellent healthcare system.

Defending the Truth Amidst Chaos

In the midst of the turmoil, Cuban journalist Mario J. Pentón, who was present at the event, stepped in to directly confront the protesters, dismantling their arguments and intensifying the exchange.

Pentón pointed to two Cuban doctors in the audience who are unable to return to the island after leaving official missions, addressing one of the protesters who attempted to leave.

"Look, these are Cuban doctors. Come on, don't leave, don't leave. Come here, dear, come here. See, these are Cuban doctors whom the regime you defend prevents from returning to their country. Their mothers, their grandmothers are dying, and they can't say goodbye because they escaped from a mission where 90% of their salary was stolen," he asserted.

He then launched a direct critique:

"So don't come here talking nonsense about what you don't know, because it's easy to pontificate from Colombia, with your belly full, and not speak about what Cubans actually live through."

Social Media Outcry and Broader Implications

Pentón later shared his outrage on social media:

"The Cuban regime and its allies thought they could sabotage the book launch of my dear friend Oscar Grandío at the Bogotá International Book Fair. But they left with their tails between their legs. The authoritarianism of that ideology, incapable of providing reasoned arguments, never ceases to amaze me. Just empty slogans. We will keep telling Cuba's truth no matter how much it hurts them."

This incident once again highlights one of the most persistent criticisms of the Cuban system: the plight of doctors on international missions.

According to the 2012 Decree-Law 306, those who abandon these missions are labeled as "deserters" and may face an entry ban to Cuba for up to eight years, resulting in forced separation from their families.

Various reports also indicate that the Cuban government withholds between 83% and 91.6% of the salary paid by host countries to these professionals, a practice widely condemned by organizations and experts.

The repercussions are also felt within Cuba.

Official data from the National Office of Statistics and Information shows that the number of doctors in Cuba dropped from 106,131 in 2021 to 75,364 in 2024, a decline of over 30,000 professionals in just three years, amid a healthcare crisis marked by shortages of resources, staff, and medicines.

The confrontation at FILBo underscores how the Cuban regime's official narrative continues to provoke conflict, even beyond the island, especially when it clashes with direct testimonies from those who have experienced its impact.