“I have to admit several things many of you have been wondering about,” begins the shocking video Frank Cuesta posted on his YouTube channel on the morning of Tuesday, May 13. In just two and a half minutes, the popular wildlife activist confessed to a series of truths that have shaken his public image, already surrounded by controversy in recent days.
Cuesta opened the video by apologizing to Luciano, also known as Chi, his former friend and ex-collaborator at Santuario Libertad. In recent days, Chi had leaked a series of audio recordings that called into question Cuesta’s credibility as a herpetologist and animal rights advocate. Rather than denying the claims, Cuesta acknowledged that much of what had been said was true.
“I wrote a script because this is a very difficult video for me,” he said visibly emotional. “I want to publicly apologize to Chi and take full responsibility for the hate he received after my arrest,” he added, referring to the incident in which he was detained in Thailand for allegedly possessing protected wildlife without the proper permits. At the time, many believed it was Chi who had anonymously reported him to the Department of National Parks, claiming that a foreigner was keeping protected species like otters and slow lorises without authorization.
But the revelations didn’t stop there. In a surprising twist, Cuesta admitted that he had built a persona based on lies. “I’ve been playing a character, and things gradually got out of control due to a serious problem I have with compulsive lying and ego,” he confessed. He admitted to obsessively lying and manipulating people to the point where he began believing his own falsehoods.
Among the most shocking admissions, Cuesta revealed that he is not a veterinarian or a herpetologist, though he does have some knowledge about animals. He also clarified another delicate matter: he does not have cancer, as he had previously claimed. “I’ve been receiving treatment for myelodysplasia for years, but I don’t have cancer,” he explained, referring to a blood disorder caused by malfunctioning or misshapen blood cells.
Regarding Santuario Libertad, he was brutally honest: “All the animals at the sanctuary were purchased. I never rescued any. It’s more like an animal farm than a sanctuary. It was all part of a show that got out of hand.” He went on to admit that most of the animals that died at the sanctuary did so due to his own negligence, though he claimed the situation has improved and he is trying to learn and do better.
Cuesta also made it clear that no one else was responsible for his arrest. “I had animals without proper legal documentation. It was an anonymous report from a Thai citizen that alerted the authorities,” he stated, effectively clearing Chi and others of any involvement.
He then addressed his conflict with Chi and admitted that he had spoken ill of him out of jealousy. “His project could have been competition for my business, and I bad-mouthed him behind his back out of envy,” he said. As for rumors that Chi handled the sanctuary’s finances, Cuesta was unequivocal: “That’s false. I always knew how much money came in, and I was the one who suggested using a separate account for transactions.”
The video concludes with a message of remorse: “I take full responsibility for deceiving everyone and publicly apologize for taking advantage of so many people.”
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