Journalist Joankelin Sánchez has disclosed new information suggesting that Fidel Alejandro Pérez-Oliva Fraga, who is believed to be the twin brother of Cuba's Minister of Foreign Trade and Vice Prime Minister Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, has been working as a business advisor for Mandao—the pioneering private delivery company in Cuba—from Madrid, Spain, since at least September 2021.
Both individuals are direct descendants of Fidel and Raúl Castro, highlighting yet another instance of economic and political influence being centralized within the Castro family.
Sánchez shared screenshots from Fidel Alejandro's LinkedIn profile on his social media account, where he is listed as a Mechanical Engineer and International Trade Specialist, based in Madrid.
The profile indicates that the alleged twin serves as a freelance "Business Activity Advisor" for Mandao, operating between Madrid and Cuba.
Mandao: A Private Venture with Castro Ties?
According to the profile, Mandao is described as "the first private sector logistics company in Cuba with national reach, established with both Cuban and foreign capital."
"Mandao (a private business) has the twin brother of Cuba's Foreign Trade Minister and great-nephews of Raúl and Fidel Castro as a business advisor," Sánchez commented, adding, "Everything ends up in the hands of the Castros. Tell me this is pure coincidence. Private business?!!?"
Before his association with Mandao, Fidel Alejandro Pérez-Oliva Fraga served as General Director of CRYMSA IMPORT-EXPORT, S.A. in Madrid from November 2014 to June 2021, as stated in his LinkedIn profile.
Offshore Connections and Political Implications
The journalist also uncovered that Fidel Alejandro is listed as a proxy in the corporate records of CECOEX, S.A., a Panamanian corporation established on June 24, 1983, and still active according to OpenCorporates.
Sánchez pointed out that these companies might be part of the GAE S.A. conglomerate, remaining largely unknown even within the core of the Castro regime.
This revelation is particularly significant given his brother's position: Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga was appointed as minister of MINCEX in May 2024 and promoted to Vice Prime Minister in October 2025, marking the most notable rise of a Castro family member in recent years.
Prior to joining MINCEX, Óscar worked under General Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, former head of the military conglomerate GAESA, which is believed to control 60 to 70% of the Cuban economy according to the U.S. Department of State.
Mandao's Role in Cuba's Private Sector
Launched in September 2019 in Havana, Mandao became the first private SME of its kind in Cuba on October 7, 2021, following the approval of the SME Decree-Law.
The company operates in at least six Cuban cities—Havana, Holguín, Matanzas, and Cienfuegos, among others—connecting over seventy restaurants, agromarkets, bakeries, and pastry shops.
The involvement of a direct relative of the Foreign Trade Minister as an advisor for Mandao from Madrid raises serious questions about the genuine independence of the business, especially in a context where Cuba has cautiously opened the private sector since 2021 amid ongoing suspicions that emerging capital is controlled or influenced by regime elites.
Fidel Alejandro's additional link with CECOEX, S.A.—a Panamanian firm with ongoing status since 1983—adds a layer of offshore financial opacity to the situation. Meanwhile, MINCEX has recently authorized new foreign companies on the island without revealing the true selection criteria.
"When will the MINCEX minister inform Cubans that his twin brother operates companies within the GAE S.A. conglomerate?" Sánchez questioned, summarizing the unanswered questions that this discovery leaves behind.
Understanding the Complex Ties of the Castro Family
Who is Fidel Alejandro Pérez-Oliva Fraga?
Fidel Alejandro Pérez-Oliva Fraga is believed to be the twin brother of Óscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, Cuba's Minister of Foreign Trade and Vice Prime Minister. He works as a business advisor for Mandao from Madrid, Spain.
What is Mandao?
Mandao is the first private delivery company in Cuba, operating as a logistics provider with a national reach. It was launched in Havana in 2019 and became the first private SME of its kind in the country in 2021.
Why is the involvement of the Castro family significant?
The involvement of the Castro family in private businesses like Mandao raises concerns about the concentration of economic power and the potential lack of genuine independence in Cuba's emerging private sector.