Cuban Woman's Defiant Response to Crisis Deniers in Cuba

A Cuban woman living in Italy took to TikTok to fiercely counter a comment accusing her of lying about the current situation in Cuba. Her powerful response has resonated with Cubans both on the island and abroad, as she candidly highlighted the dire conditions in the country.

The controversy erupted after the user @bebesita32.2 shared advice for travelers heading to Cuba, warning them about blackouts, safety issues, medication shortages, and scams. In response, someone claimed, "What Cuba are you talking about? I just visited, and everything you say is false."

The creator's reaction was swift and forceful. "This comment is offensive; it's offensive to 11 million Cubans," she retorted. "Those within the island are starving, struggling without medicine, electricity, water, gas, or resources. No human being should live like that." She firmly challenged the user's experience minimizing the situation: "Where did you go? No, I think you went to the wrong country. What Cubans are experiencing there is depressing." She added, "Hunger and poverty breed crime, and unfortunately, that's the reality within the island. It's every person for themselves."

Defending her right to speak from experience, she asserted, "I have family in Cuba, I visit to see them, and I lived in Cuba. You can't tell me stories or deceive me." She asked pointedly, "Or are you a communist trying to cover up the truth? Don't try to hide the harsh reality from me. You know very well the situation is bleak."

Support and Shared Experiences

The video garnered widespread support, with many users sharing similar testimonies about the island's hardships. "My family in Pinar del Río has been without power and food for four days; they've had to dismantle a piano for firewood," one woman shared. Another noted, "Only tourists live well there because the Cuban people are completely neglected by their government."

"It's not the same to visit for a week at a hotel as it is to live like a Cuban," commented one user, while another added, "Since my last trip, things have worsened. Every day is much worse, there's no way out."

Initial Warning and Broader Context

The video that sparked this debate was previously highlighted by CiberCuba on May 27. In it, the user warned of the risks of traveling to the island, advising against staying in private homes due to blackouts, to bring medications, and to be cautious of scams. "Don't let your guard down; Cuba is not how you remember it," she cautioned.

Echoing these sentiments, Spanish YouTubers from the channel Black Mango shared their experiences of the "terrible reality" they encountered in impoverished neighborhoods of Havana: daily blackouts, hunger, homes without doors, constant surveillance, and a pervasive sense of confinement. One poignant testimony was, "I don't know Santiago de Cuba. I know it's there, but I've never been and never will. I can't see my own country. It's a prison with a blue sky and nice cars, but a prison nonetheless."

Spanish YouTuber Juanjo Dalmau, from his channel Viajando con Dalmau, also illustrated the harsh everyday life on the island. In one video, filmed outside a Havana grocery store, he depicted how Cubans endure long lines for basic food that rarely arrives: "Imagine living in a country where your food depends on a ration book... which often only offers emptiness."

Thus, this Cuban woman's response from Italy is not an isolated incident but part of a growing chorus denouncing the daily hardships on the island. A reality that many are no longer willing to silence.