On Sept. 28 at UNCA, Alina Fernandez, Fidel Castro’s daughter, shared a combination of her personal story and Cuba’s story to a room full of people standing and sitting anywhere they could fit. She talked about Fidel as the leader of the “hairy men on TV” that shouted slogans about change and visited her at night. When she grew up, her mother told her the “night visitor” was also her real father, and she said she was not surprised. She eventually fled the country as it became more impoverished.
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3 thoughts on “Photos from Sept. 28 presentation by Alina Fernandez, daughter of Fidel Castro, at UNCA”
Jon Elliston
Thanks Megan for the pictures. I was at the event and enjoyed hearing from Ms. Fernandez.
One clarification, though: She didn’t flee Cuba “as it become more dangerous.” She fled Cuba (in 1993) as it became more impoverished, due to the loss of financial support from the Soviet Union. She wasn’t in any danger.
Rich Haney
Elina Fernandez dupes — at a minimum fee of $7,000.00 plus expenses — her sycophantic audiences at her ubiquitous collegiate speaking engagements; she also rakes in big bucks with her anti-daddy radio show in Miami, her anti-daddy books, and her upcoming anti-daddy movie. Having been to Cuba, once to research my biography of Celia Sanchez, I made it a point to ask everyday Cubans about Alina and every reaction called her a “spoiled brat” who resented her father simply because he would not shower her and her friends with luxury items. Elina’s mother Naty lives in Havana and remains extremely devoted to Fidel and fiercely resented of Elina; Mirta, Fidel’s first wife, has a home in Spain but frequently visits both Fidel and their son Fidelito in Cuba; Fidel has eight sons, all of whom live modestly in Cuba and are very loyal to their father. Fidel has one other daughter — Francisca Pupo, nicknamed Panchila — who has lived in Miami with her husband since 1998 when her father gave his full blessing. The money-hungry Alina is speaking to the choir, so she says what the choir wants to hear and what will make her money…lots of money. She laments the lack of children’s T. V. programs in Cuba but those who go there know that one of the three state TV stations is devoted exclusively to children’s programming, especially U.S. cartoons. She also lies when she states that Cubans have hunger problems; they do not. Elina’s father has never uttered or written one unkind word about her although, of course, he is aware of her commercial hatred of him. Being a pro-democracy conservative Republican, I’m anti-Castro too but mostly I dislike money-grubbers who distort whatever they need to distort in order to make money.
Fernando Labrador
My only comment is that if you say that Cuba does not have a hunger problem than you are not anti-Castro but pro-Castro. Most of my family is in Cuba and if I don’t send money to them every month they would not have anything to eat. The food that is rationed in Cuba today is not enough to feed a family. My cousin who is a doctor makes 600 pesos a month. Which comes out to less than $25 dollars a month. She has to pay rent on the apartment and utilities. In Cuba nothing is free. You get payed peanuts and that’s how the government subsidizes health care. My other cousin works in a kitchen working for state personnel and makes 225 pesos a month. This comes out to about $20.00 a month. She can’t afford buying clothes or a soda. In Cuba everything is expensive and the cost of living is much higher than the United States. Cuba is a third world country. You have to open your eyes and if your honest you’ll see the truth. A Chinese peasant makes more money than a Cuban. Communism didn’t work in the Soviet Union, its not working in China, in North Korea, and Vietnam just to name a few. What makes you think its working in Cuba. Wake up and smell the coffee! You should talk with more Cuban exiles.
Thanks Megan for the pictures. I was at the event and enjoyed hearing from Ms. Fernandez.
One clarification, though: She didn’t flee Cuba “as it become more dangerous.” She fled Cuba (in 1993) as it became more impoverished, due to the loss of financial support from the Soviet Union. She wasn’t in any danger.
Elina Fernandez dupes — at a minimum fee of $7,000.00 plus expenses — her sycophantic audiences at her ubiquitous collegiate speaking engagements; she also rakes in big bucks with her anti-daddy radio show in Miami, her anti-daddy books, and her upcoming anti-daddy movie. Having been to Cuba, once to research my biography of Celia Sanchez, I made it a point to ask everyday Cubans about Alina and every reaction called her a “spoiled brat” who resented her father simply because he would not shower her and her friends with luxury items. Elina’s mother Naty lives in Havana and remains extremely devoted to Fidel and fiercely resented of Elina; Mirta, Fidel’s first wife, has a home in Spain but frequently visits both Fidel and their son Fidelito in Cuba; Fidel has eight sons, all of whom live modestly in Cuba and are very loyal to their father. Fidel has one other daughter — Francisca Pupo, nicknamed Panchila — who has lived in Miami with her husband since 1998 when her father gave his full blessing. The money-hungry Alina is speaking to the choir, so she says what the choir wants to hear and what will make her money…lots of money. She laments the lack of children’s T. V. programs in Cuba but those who go there know that one of the three state TV stations is devoted exclusively to children’s programming, especially U.S. cartoons. She also lies when she states that Cubans have hunger problems; they do not. Elina’s father has never uttered or written one unkind word about her although, of course, he is aware of her commercial hatred of him. Being a pro-democracy conservative Republican, I’m anti-Castro too but mostly I dislike money-grubbers who distort whatever they need to distort in order to make money.
My only comment is that if you say that Cuba does not have a hunger problem than you are not anti-Castro but pro-Castro. Most of my family is in Cuba and if I don’t send money to them every month they would not have anything to eat. The food that is rationed in Cuba today is not enough to feed a family. My cousin who is a doctor makes 600 pesos a month. Which comes out to less than $25 dollars a month. She has to pay rent on the apartment and utilities. In Cuba nothing is free. You get payed peanuts and that’s how the government subsidizes health care. My other cousin works in a kitchen working for state personnel and makes 225 pesos a month. This comes out to about $20.00 a month. She can’t afford buying clothes or a soda. In Cuba everything is expensive and the cost of living is much higher than the United States. Cuba is a third world country. You have to open your eyes and if your honest you’ll see the truth. A Chinese peasant makes more money than a Cuban. Communism didn’t work in the Soviet Union, its not working in China, in North Korea, and Vietnam just to name a few. What makes you think its working in Cuba. Wake up and smell the coffee! You should talk with more Cuban exiles.