Cuban's Outburst on Social Media: "We've Had Enough, Leave Already"

A video by TikTok user @jankiel_itako, a young Cuban living on the island, has recently gone viral. In this video, he voices his frustration with the challenging living conditions in Cuba, blaming the authorities not only for their handling of evacuations following Hurricane Melissa but also for the overall decline affecting the populace.

"Every death, every injury from the hurricane is your fault too," the young man asserts in the clip. "When you evacuate people, you need to take them to safe places... you're even putting people into caves."

He also criticizes the lack of basic services and the general precariousness in the country: "Cuba is full of diseases because of the blackouts... all the streets are flooded because everything here is destroyed." He calls on the authorities to take responsibility and insists on the families' right to live with dignity: "Leave already, my brother, leave, because a child's life is worth more than anything. We don't want you."

The video sparked hundreds of supportive and concerned comments. Many users praised the young man's bravery for speaking out from Cuba about a reality impacting millions on the island. Frequent messages included calls for unity and the phrase "freedom for Cuba," while others expressed fear of potential repercussions.

The young man's criticisms align with testimonies gathered from eastern Cuba after Hurricane Melissa. In the Santiago de Cuba municipality of Guamá, where the cyclone made landfall, numerous residents took refuge in natural caves due to a lack of secure shelters and widespread destruction.

In Río Cauto and Grito de Yara, in the Granma province, locals reported abandonment and shortages of food, potable water, and medical care, alongside prolonged blackouts and a lack of official information, according to reports from the affected communities.

At the Orlando Lara school, used as an evacuation center in Río Cauto, families with children were housed without mattresses or sufficient food, as noted by a local on social media. They detailed the lack of mattresses, milk, and basic conditions for those evacuated.

In Santiago de Cuba, family members confirmed the death of Roberto Rodríguez Munder, who was swept away by a river in the La Pedrera neighborhood. This event was verified by his relatives and international media, although not officially confirmed by the government.

In Contramaestre, another man remains missing after the cyclone, according to public appeals from family and neighbors involved in the search.

The government reported evacuating over 735,000 people in the eastern part of the country, acknowledging that 95% sought refuge with family or neighbors, according to statements by Communist Party Secretary Roberto Morales Ojeda.

In Guamo, Granma province, more than 2,600 individuals were transported by train to safety after the Cauto River overflowed, in a coordinated operation by Civil Defense, the FAR, and the MININT, as per official rescue operation reports.

Activists and religious leaders have reported that the regime has set up checkpoints to prevent independent aid from reaching eastern Cuba, according to the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights. Meanwhile, the U.S. government has allocated $3 million in humanitarian aid to be distributed directly through the Catholic Church.

In Guantánamo, a group of residents protested the lack of water and electricity, with one woman telling a local leader, "The blockade is inside, not outside," referring to the internal responsibility in the crisis.

The video by @jankiel_itako adds to a wave of testimonies highlighting the precariousness, lack of state response, and public discontent following Hurricane Melissa. His message, recorded from the island, echoes the sentiments of many Cubans demanding accountability, dignified conditions, and transparency in the face of an emergency that has left destruction and neglect across much of the country's east.