On Tuesday, Cuban influencer Yeison López (@hermandadtmph) disclosed that the bicycle promised to young Dainer had been purchased even before he issued the public challenge that rallied thousands of followers on social media.
López shared the moving story of Dainer, a 12-year-old from Bahía Honda, Artemisa, who works stripping palms and walks barefoot for miles to attend school.
He had pledged to buy the boy a bike if a video reached 100,000 likes. However, in a comment on his own post, the content creator admitted the decision was actually made prior to recording.
“To be honest, the bike was already bought before making this video. But amidst all the garbage content on our networks, I wanted to give you the chance to be part of this with your likes and interactions, so you might feel like you were the ones gifting the bike, because in truth, you are. Without God and your support, none of this would be possible,” he wrote.
Rather than causing backlash, the admission heightened the emotional impact of the campaign and garnered thousands more reactions.
Dainer came to the attention of López’s followers in mid-July, when the influencer encountered him during a morning run in the rural settlement of Montaña, with the boy keeping pace barefoot throughout the entire route.
When asked why he didn’t have a way to school, Dainer replied with a statement that touched thousands: “I can go by bike, but I don't have one. I wish I did.”
The young boy was not unfamiliar to the creator’s community. On July 18, a reel featuring palm strippers, starring Dainer and Raidel, a 25-year-old with a decade of experience, had amassed over 450,000 views and more than 140,000 likes.
In that video, recorded at five in the morning, both were seen scaling royal palms over twenty meters tall using only makeshift ropes to cut bunches of palmiche, a fruit primarily used to feed pigs.
Dainer's grandmother, who takes care of him and his little sister, expressed pride in her grandson: “Daini, my grandson, is very good. He works with people and all. What I always tell him is that he has to strive.”
Having emigrated from Cuba at 15 and currently residing in Asia, López returned to the island to document rural life on his Instagram account, which boasts over 600,000 followers.
He clarified that his goal wasn't to glamorize the situation: “With this post, I don’t intend to romanticize this lifestyle for children; I’m just sharing the reality many live in, and I believe we should respect it instead of launching criticisms without understanding deeply.”
Dainer’s story highlights a documented reality in Cuba. The Cuban Conflict Observatory recorded 71 reports of child labor and begging in 2025, while the government itself acknowledged nearly 200,000 minors are in vulnerable situations.
Despite this, the Young Communist League denied in June the existence of child labor in Cuba, a statement that sparked widespread backlash on social media.
The economic backdrop exacerbates the issue: the official minimum wage was set at 3,210 pesos—around $4.65—as of July 1, 2026, while economists estimate a person needs about 96,000 pesos monthly to meet basic needs.
The Reality of Child Labor and Economic Hardship in Cuba
What prompted Yeison López to buy a bicycle for Dainer?
Yeison López was moved by Dainer's story—a 12-year-old who walks barefoot to school and works stripping palms. Despite setting a challenge for likes, López had already decided to gift the bicycle to Dainer beforehand.
How did López's revelation impact the social media campaign?
López's admission of pre-purchasing the bike increased the emotional resonance of the campaign, leading to an outpouring of additional support and reactions from his followers.
What are the broader implications of Dainer's story in Cuba?
Dainer's situation sheds light on the harsh realities of child labor and economic struggle in Cuba, areas often denied or overlooked by official narratives but documented by independent observers.