Kardashians criticized for visiting Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba — The famous Kardashian family took advantage of the United States and Cuba reestablishing ties by flying to Cuba to film episodes of their E! Reality show, "Keeping up with the Kardashians."

Kim Kardashian West, Khloe Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian and family friend Malika Haqq posed for pictures around Havana, Cuba while documenting the trip for their show.

Although those near the filming locations didn't seem to be bothered, the family's social media posts have drawn criticism, particularly one of Khloe Kardashian in front of a wall that contained graffiti of the name Fidel, the first name of Cuba's controversial leader Fidel Castro.

"She doesn't care that the (picture) is disrespectful to her fans that have dealt with the torment behind the reign of Castro. She's read the comments. The story has been reported on entertainment sites and blogs across the Internet. The right thing to do would have been to take the photo down and apologize for any hurt it might have caused even though it wasn't intended," one commenter wrote.

Others took Khloe Kardashian to task on Twitter:

South Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen went so far as to release a statement to People about the reality TV family's visit.

"I know it's cool for celebrities to go to Cuba, but the Cuban people don't experience the glamorous Havana that is featured on social media. Far from photo shoots and fruity drinks, everyday Cubans experience a different, sad reality."

In one photo, a commenter criticised the Kardashians for romanticizing life in Cuba, which is partly a product of a trade embargo imposed by the United States that began in 1960.

Still, Khloe Kardashian said she learned a lot from her visit.

"With everyday, my goal is to expand my mind," she wrote on an Instagram post. "Now, it has been filled with new memories and knowledge of culture, food, traditions (and) daily life. It will never go back to yesterday's dimensions. I'm so blessed to be able to appreciate another's culture."

Cox Media Group