Five-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, Cuban athlete Mijaín López, appeared on the TV program Mesa Redonda where he reflected on his journey towards Paris 2024. During the broadcast, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the exclusion of Russia from these Olympics, a measure taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
According to the website Cubadebate, the "Giant of Herradura" stated on the program, "unjustly, the Russians couldn't be at the Olympic Games, but we will go there to exchange with them and show that sports have nothing to do with politics." However, these were not the exact words of the athlete; it was the program's host, Randy Alonso Falcón, who used the term "unjustly." Alonso Falcón, who is also the director of the official portal Cubadebate, altered the athlete's words in the published note about Mijaín's intervention on Mesa Redonda.
So what did Mijaín actually say? When asked about his trip to Russia, organized as a tribute by triple Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling champion Alexander Karelin, the Cuban athlete responded:
"The expectations are going to be exciting. I believe that being in Russia is an honor, after they were eliminated from the Olympic Games. I think it shouldn't have been that way because I believe politics has nothing to do with sports; because sports are about the union of all cultures and all athletes, and brotherhood."
It becomes evident that the officialist media led by Alonso Falcón put words in Mijaín's mouth that he did not explicitly say, and it was the program's host who described the IOC's decision as "unjust."
Amid the controversy surrounding his loyalty to the totalitarian regime in Cuba and his admiration for its creator, the dictator Fidel Castro, Mijaín has been appearing in various officialist venues since his return from Paris. From La Piragua on the Havana Malecón, the wrestler paid tribute to "our undefeated commander."
"I believe that with our presence here, we are reaffirming the continuity he left in this homeland," said the athlete on the eve of the tyrant's birthday.
Despite advocating for the depoliticization of sports, the fact remains that the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP) deputy has been turned into a new champion of the so-called "revolutionary sport" by the regime. His image continues to be manipulated by the propaganda of a totalitarian regime that uses violence against those who dissent or demand rights and freedoms, leveraging his physique as a symbol of the dictatorship's strength.
In his latest TV appearance, the athlete—who has often played into this power game, even physically assaulting an activist during the last Pan American Games in Chile—aligned himself with Russia, just as the Cuban regime does regarding Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Cuba is one of the few countries that support Russia within the international community, which has increased Russia's isolation amid growing evidence that Vladimir Putin's regime is committing genocide and war crimes in Ukrainian territory.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in over 30,000 civilian casualties, including deaths and injuries, and six million refugees in a country with more than 43 million inhabitants. In February, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had died, though U.S. intelligence estimates suggest higher losses.
The IOC banned Russia and Belarus from participating in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine with Belarusian support. The IOC argued that the Russian Olympic Committee violated the Olympic Charter when it unilaterally absorbed the sports organizations of the occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhia, illegally annexed by Russia.
The Russian autocrat accused the IOC of "discrimination." In response to the ban, Putin decided to organize his own international sports competition: the Friendship Games, reminiscent of a similar event organized by the USSR in 1984.
Despite the IOC's decision, which Alonso Falcón called unjust, the officialist journalist had no qualms about applauding the decision of its president, German Thomas Bach, to honor the five-time Olympic champion in Paris.
Key Questions About Russia's Exclusion from the Olympics
In light of the controversy surrounding Russia's exclusion from the Olympics, here are some key questions and answers that provide additional insight into the situation.
Why was Russia excluded from the Paris 2024 Olympics?
Russia was excluded due to its invasion of Ukraine, which violated the Olympic Charter by unilaterally absorbing the sports organizations of Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia.
What were Mijaín López's actual comments on Russia's exclusion?
Mijaín López stated that politics should not interfere with sports and emphasized the importance of cultural and athletic unity, but he did not explicitly call the exclusion "unjust."
How has Cuba's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict affected its international relations?
Cuba's support for Russia has further isolated it from the international community, which largely condemns Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocidal and war crimes.