Paolo Titolo, an Italian photojournalist married to Mariela Castro, daughter of Raúl Castro, purchased three properties in Barcelona's tourist areas from 2015 to 2019. This occurred as Cuba faced one of its most severe economic and social crises, according to an exclusive investigation released by El Confidencial on Friday.
Property Investments in Barcelona
The first acquisition was a spacious apartment over 155 square meters in the Eixample district, bought in March 2015. Its current market value is estimated between 950,000 and 1,250,000 euros, with the Idealista website indicating that prices in this area exceed 6,600 euros per square meter.
In 2017, Titolo expanded his investment portfolio with a 32-square-meter apartment in Barceloneta, valued between 160,000 and 210,000 euros. By 2019, he completed the property trio with another apartment of the same size on Viladomat Street, in a building associated with tourist rentals, valued between 180,000 and 220,000 euros.
Context of Economic Disparity
The combined value of these properties could surpass 1.5 million euros, an unimaginable fortune for the average Cuban citizen, who endures power outages lasting up to twenty hours daily and faces shortages of basic necessities like food and medicine.
The purchases were made during Ada Colau's tenure as mayor, who prioritized combatting tourist apartments in her municipal strategy, adding a layer of political irony to the scenario.
Connections with Cuban Elite
Titolo is not merely a Castro family member by marriage; he served nearly two decades as the general director in Cuba for the Amorim business group, owned by Américo Ferreira de Amorim, Portugal's wealthiest individual and a personal friend of Fidel and Raúl Castro since the 1960s. An entrepreneur cited by El Confidencial mentioned, "The businessman provided the funds, sending six or seven million euros, and he decided how to invest them."
This appointment was strategic. In 2006, during a tour of Portugal, Raúl Castro requested Ferreira to entrust the group's representation to a reliable individual, leading to Titolo replacing the veteran executive José Guimaraes.
Business Ventures and Political Influence
In Barcelona, Titolo sought out elite business circles, leveraging his political connections for investment opportunities in Havana. "After all, he was the boss's son-in-law," the investigation highlights. One of his unsuccessful ventures was securing Nissan's representation in Cuba, which faltered because a Mexican billionaire retained the contract.
The Americas newspaper ranks Titolo among Cuba's wealthiest men. His children are involved in hydrocarbon import businesses, while his daughter, Lisa Titolo Castro, owns Gaia Mercado Mipyme in El Vedado, focusing on meat imports and food sales.
Broader Patterns of Elite Enrichment
The real estate dealings extend to Vilma Rodríguez Castro, sister to "El Cangrejo" and Raúl Castro's granddaughter. In 2019, CiberCuba documented her renting a luxury mansion in Miramar, Havana, through Airbnb under the name "Casa Vida Luxury Holidays," for up to $650 per night.
The property, featuring four bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, and a jacuzzi, could generate between $6,000 and $10,000 monthly. Following U.S. sanctions against the Castro family, the property profile altered its host name from "Vilma" to "Anabel," and its declared residence from Panama to Spain. Later, in 2020, the mansion was included in the U.S. list of banned accommodations for its citizens in Cuba.
This case fits into a broader pattern of enrichment among the Castro elite. Sandro Castro, Fidel's grandson, owns bars in Havana, while Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as "El Cangrejo" and Raúl Castro's grandson, was linked by The New York Times to a human trafficking network in Mexico, although no formal charges were made.
The Trump administration has increased pressure on this elite: in June 2026, it sanctioned Miguel Díaz-Canel and Raúl Castro's family circle, and in September, it imposed new sanctions on the former dictator's circle, including his grandson Fidel Ernesto Castro Calis and the Banco Exterior de Cuba.
A source familiar with Cuba's business network summed it up bluntly: "Paolo is a classic representative of Cuba's new wealthy class. The recent package of 147 laws to open the Cuban market is merely a strategy to launder the elite, comprised of children and relatives of military personnel controlling the island's major corporations."
Cuba's Economic Crisis and Foreign Investments
Who is Paolo Titolo?
Paolo Titolo is an Italian photojournalist married to Mariela Castro, Raúl Castro's daughter. He is known for his significant investments in Barcelona's real estate sector while serving as a key business figure in Cuba.
What properties did Titolo acquire in Barcelona?
Titolo purchased three properties in Barcelona: a large apartment in Eixample, a smaller unit in Barceloneta, and another in a tourist rental building on Viladomat Street.
How do Titolo's investments contrast with the situation in Cuba?
While Titolo invested millions in foreign real estate, the average Cuban faces dire economic conditions, including long power outages and shortages of basic goods.