A Cuban native who has spent his entire life on the island, without experiencing the world beyond, recently shared a three-part account on Facebook titled "Cuban Hell," which has taken social media by storm.
The author, Alejandro Delgado Cabrera, 56, is the son of actor Tony Delgado and actress Gina Cabrera, who is known as the "Queen of Drama" in Cuban television and radio. In his narrative, Delgado Cabrera offers an unflinching depiction of life under the communist regime established in 1959.
The Reality of Growing Up Under Communism
"There has never been a time in my life when we could say we had it all," Delgado Cabrera writes in his first installment. He lists the shortages that have plagued his life since childhood: clothing, shoes, food, medicine, transportation, electricity, and fuel—all rationed and never sufficient for the average citizen. He stresses that the deprivation wasn't solely material.
"The line they claim doesn't exist is not even remotely thin; it's a thick wall, I would say," he remarks, recalling how during his school years, the children of government officials would arrive with branded shoes, backpacks, perfumes, and mobile phones, luxuries unimaginable for the rest.
Spiritual and Social Damage Under the Regime
In the second part of his testimony, Delgado Cabrera highlights the spiritual and social harm inflicted by the regime: the restrictions of all kinds—religious, political, economic, intellectual—the mass indoctrination, and the double standards parents passed on to their children as a means of survival. He points out the irony that those who were once communist militants for convenience are now the new business owners, running hostels, hotels, and factories.
"Now conveniently, the children and grandchildren, those with the nice shoes, jeans, perfumes, antennas, and phones in their home cars, have become the new entrepreneurs, owners, and 'socialist' lords," he writes, questioning, "Where did they get the money for these million-dollar investments?"
A report from February 2026 documented the existence of informal privilege systems that determine who gets access to resources, permissions, and institutional protection in Cuba, supporting the author's claims.
A Heartbreaking Visit to His Mother's Grave
The third part, accompanied by a video recorded in a cemetery, is the most heartrending. Delgado Cabrera visits his mother's grave—Gina Cabrera, who passed away on January 3, 2022—and finds that the bronze letters of the family tomb have been stolen, along with the flowers.
"This place is destroyed... they steal the letters, the M, I, A of family... I put some simple flowers that she liked," he says in the video. Thefts at Cuban cemeteries have been documented across multiple provinces between 2023 and 2026, involving the removal of bronze, marble, tombstones, flowers, and even, in some cases, human remains. In July of this year, a family in Sancti Spíritus reported the plundering of a vault and the theft of valuable sentimental items.
The Stark Reality of Modern Cuba
"Garbage, flies, real worms, decay, mosquitoes, diseases of all kinds spreading without resources or medicines to fight them, real hunger, endless blackouts, depravity, corruption, manipulation, repression, lies, blackmail—this and more is Cuba today," Delgado Cabrera summarizes in his conclusion.
The testimony aligns with a verifiable reality. According to the Food Monitor Program, as of May 2026, 96.91% of the Cuban population lacked adequate food access, and 33.9% of households reported that at least one member went to bed hungry in the past 30 days. Five provinces are in critical levels of food insecurity: Havana, Matanzas, Cienfuegos, Guantánamo, and Santiago de Cuba. Additionally, Cubalex recorded 319 repressive events in June 2026 alone.
"What dignity can remain for the living if even the dead can't escape this?" Delgado Cabrera questions. He concludes, "This is, and I fall short by much, THE CUBAN HELL."
Understanding the Cuban Crisis Through Personal Testimonies
What are the key challenges faced by Cubans according to Alejandro Delgado Cabrera?
Delgado Cabrera highlights material shortages, spiritual and social harm, and systemic corruption as major challenges faced by Cubans under the communist regime.
How does Delgado Cabrera describe the impact of the regime on Cuban society?
He describes it as having caused significant spiritual and social damage, characterized by restrictions, indoctrination, and a culture of double standards for survival.
What evidence supports Delgado Cabrera's claims about privilege systems in Cuba?
A February 2026 report documented the existence of informal privilege systems that determine access to resources and protections, corroborating Delgado Cabrera's observations.