Fernando González Llort, an ex-Cuban spy and current president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), recently appeared in a video released by the Association of Cubans Living in Canada. In it, he labeled U.S. policy towards Cuba as "genocide" and thanked the Canadian solidarity movement for its support. This comes shortly after Washington imposed sanctions on ICAP due to its ties with Cuban intelligence.
González highlighted over 12,000 signatures on parliamentary petition E7082, promoted by the Canadian Network on Cuba and the Quebec-Cuba Coordination Table, urging solidarity movements to oppose what he described as an "increasing military threat."
"Thank you, Canada, for proving that solidarity between our peoples isn't dictated by the White House," González declared, concluding his speech with the regime's official slogan: "Patria o muerte, venceremos."
The public's response in the video comments predominantly showcased the Cuban diaspora's disapproval of the official narrative.
"The only ones who despise their people are the communist government, 67 years of suffering, poverty, and hatred towards those who think differently," one viewer commented.
Another comment was even more blunt: "This isn't solidarity...it's a handout to an incompetent communist state that misgoverns Cuba...no one survives on handouts."
Canadian Cubans' Perspective
Many Cubans residing in Canada also rejected the video's core argument. "We Canadian Cubans support the embargo; it's the only way to oust a dictatorship that suffocates and exploits its people. No more demagoguery or lies," expressed another participant in the online debate.
González's remarks come at a time of heightened pressure on the regime. On June 4, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the Treasury Department sanctioned ICAP and its associated company Amistur S.A., accusing them of functioning as an influence platform linked to Cuban intelligence services.
The same sanctions also targeted Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.
On June 10, González responded to the sanctions, calling them a "political hostility act based on slander" and demanded ICAP's immediate removal from OFAC's list.
International Appearances Amid Crisis
The ex-spy is no stranger to international appearances during Cuba's unprecedented crisis. In May 2025, journalist Mario J. Pentón confronted him at Barajas Airport in Madrid, asking, "What are you doing in Spain while the Cuban people endure misery and blackouts?"
In April, during a colloquium in Havana, González advocated for using political humor to "deconstruct clichés" about Cuba, openly contradicting the regime's systemic repression of critical humorists.
Convicted in 2001 in the U.S. for conspiracy to commit espionage as part of the Wasp Network, González served 17 years and nine months in prison before being repatriated to Cuba on February 27, 2014. Since then, the regime has elevated him to diplomatic and political roles, culminating in his presidency of ICAP.
Since January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed over 240 restrictive measures against entities, officials, and structures linked to Cuban power, while Prisoners Defenders recorded a historic high of 1,214 political prisoners on the island as of February that year.
Understanding U.S. Sanctions on Cuba
What is the reason behind the U.S. sanctions on ICAP?
The U.S. sanctioned ICAP due to its alleged role as an influence platform connected to Cuban intelligence services.
How has the Cuban diaspora reacted to Fernando González's statements?
The Cuban diaspora, particularly in Canada, has largely rejected González's statements, supporting the U.S. embargo as a means to challenge the Cuban regime.
Who else was targeted in the recent U.S. sanctions against Cuba?
The recent U.S. sanctions also targeted Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.