A Cuban living in Uruguay recently engaged in an impromptu discussion at a Maldonado shop, which quickly transformed into a viral video on social media. His intervention came in response to a customer who attributed all of Cuba's woes to the United States embargo.
This incident was shared by content creator Eddy Reflexiona in a video posted on June 28 on his YouTube channel. By the end of the week, the video had garnered nearly 4,000 views and over 400 positive reactions.
Personal Experiences Challenge the Narrative
Eddy explained that the conversation started as he was buying cheese to make a pizza. He overheard a Uruguayan customer discussing with a Cuban worker the challenges faced by athletes in Cuba. When the customer claimed that all of Cuba's issues were due to the U.S. embargo, Eddy felt compelled to step in.
"With all due respect, please excuse me for interrupting, but I am Cuban, and I want to share what I've lived," he recounted saying before detailing his experiences.
His main point was that the most significant restrictions he faced in Cuba were not from the United States but from the Cuban government's own policies.
The Real Blockade: Internal Policies
"The only blockade in Cuba has always been imposed by the Castro dictatorship and the Communist Party on the Cuban people," he asserted.
To support his view, Eddy described several personal experiences he encountered before emigrating to Uruguay seven years ago.
He recalled the difficulties in accessing medicines, noting that while in Uruguay he could get treatment through the healthcare system or purchase it freely at pharmacies, in Cuba, those medications were often unavailable to the public.
He also pointed out that there were pharmacies for foreigners where specific medicines could be found, but Cuban citizens had no access to them, even if they had foreign currency sent by relatives abroad.
Another example he mentioned was the long-standing ban that prevented Cubans from staying in numerous hotels designated for international tourists, a policy officially lifted by the government in 2008.
The content creator also mentioned being stopped by police while traveling from Santiago de Cuba to Havana due to existing internal migration restrictions and noted that interacting with foreign tourists could lead to penalties.
A Peaceful Exchange of Views
Eddy highlighted that the conversation was respectful and concluded without any incidents. He later decided to share his experience on YouTube to shed light on aspects of everyday life in Cuba that he believes are not well-known outside the island.
"Cuba is ruled by a dictatorship that blocks ordinary Cubans. That's the real blockade," he summarized in the video.
He concluded by emphasizing that being able to freely express his opinions in Uruguay is a fundamental difference from what he experienced in Cuba.
"I repeat, this simple act of sharing my thoughts and conversing with you is something we cannot do in Cuba," he remarked.
Rising Cuban Community in Uruguay
Eddy's testimony comes amid a growing wave of Cuban emigration to Uruguay, which has become a leading destination for those leaving the island in recent years.
His message joins other public critiques from Cubans abroad who challenge the official narrative about the causes of Cuba's crisis. Among them is influencer Anna Bensi, who went viral in March for stating that "the only real blockade in Cuba is yours against the people's stomachs."
Understanding the Cuban Embargo and Its Impact
What is the Cuban embargo?
The Cuban embargo is a series of economic sanctions imposed by the United States on Cuba, aimed at restricting trade and economic interactions between the two nations.
How do internal policies in Cuba affect its citizens?
Internal policies in Cuba, such as restrictions on travel, access to goods, and interactions with foreigners, can significantly limit the freedoms and economic opportunities available to Cuban citizens.