From Cuban Medical Student to Honduras' Science Minister: "I Was a Leader and Spent Countless Hours with Commander Fidel"

Luther Castillo Harry, once a student at Cuba's Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), now holds the position of Secretary of State for Science and Technology in Honduras. He remains a devoted admirer of the late dictator Fidel Castro. In a recent interview with Cuban state media, Castillo reminisced about his time in Cuba and the significant hours he spent alongside Fidel, with whom he claimed to have shared "a great deal of time."

Expressing pride in his education at ELAM, Castillo declared himself a product of the "solidarity of the Cuban revolution." He enthusiastically recounted his arrival in Cuba on March 17, 1999, and his participation in the marches ordered by Castro as part of the so-called "Battle of Ideas." "I had the experience of spending countless hours with Commander Fidel Castro Ruz. I was a leader at the Latin American School of Medicine. He summoned me there every week, during the Elián González battle. Every Saturday, every Wednesday, and every Saturday we met. We visited municipality by municipality, participated in open forums," Castillo explained, illustrating how ideological indoctrination has always been woven into the training of medical students at ELAM.

Castillo also mentioned his participation in the first "anti-imperialist" forum, organized by the dictator, and expressed that he felt like just another Cuban. His comments echoed the triumphant tone of Cuban officialdom, adopting the aggressive rhetoric of Fidel and the regime, which blames the U.S. government for "attacking" the island through the "blockade."

Afterward, Castillo traveled to the United States to pursue two postgraduate degrees at Harvard University. Upon returning to his homeland, he assumed the role of minister. "I returned to my country today as Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, with a clear and firm understanding of what the Cuban revolution means to me and our people. That's why I've always said that you can't count on me to speak ill of Cuba," he asserted.

This is not the only instance of an individual educated in Cuba with communist orientations infiltrating high political spheres in other countries. Another example is Leticia Cecilia Gómez Hernández, a Cuban nationalized Venezuelan, appointed as Minister of Tourism under Nicolás Maduro's administration—a development that sparked controversy regarding the Castro regime's penetration into the Bolivarian power structure.

In the complex web of relations between Cuba and Venezuela, Gómez Hernández's name stands out due to her influence and power in the tourism industry. According to Venezuelan investigative journalist Ibéyise Pacheco, the tourism minister arrived in Venezuela in 2001, brought by Cuba's current Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and quickly rose through the ranks in the tourism sector.

Gómez Hernández's influence extends beyond her official roles. Her presence in Venezuela serves as a vital link between the interests of the Cuban regime and the Chavismo movement. She has spearheaded initiatives to attract tourism from Cuba to Venezuela, promoting what is presented as business opportunities for both countries. In reality, these appear to be schemes for money laundering and evading international sanctions, employing Cuban citizens as "mules" in a closely monitored and controlled "shopping tourism" by State Security in Margarita.