The Peruvian YouTuber BROBA (@broba222) ventured into Los Pocitos, one of Havana's most impoverished neighborhoods, capturing a reality dominated by makeshift homes erected beside a polluted river, power outages lasting up to 12 hours, and families grappling with severe hardships to meet basic needs.
This journey through the Marianao district community, featured on YouTube, allowed the content creator to engage directly with some residents, gaining first-hand insights into their daily lives.
"Extremely tough, extremely tough," responded one local when BROBA inquired about living conditions there.
She succinctly highlighted one of the area’s major issues: "There's never electricity at first. It goes out every day, for around 10 to 12 hours."
Los Pocitos is located along the banks of the Quibú River, one of Cuba's most polluted waterways, in Marianao, approximately a twenty-minute drive from central Havana. Much of the settlement has been built by its residents themselves, with homes constructed under precarious conditions, some nearly atop the river.
BROBA noted that many families end up building there due to a lack of housing alternatives; living by the polluted river becomes, for some, the only viable option to avoid homelessness.
Challenges Awaiting Upon Arrival
The visit to Los Pocitos wasn't BROBA’s first encounter with the challenges faced by Cubans.
From the moment he arrived in Havana, BROBA documented a series of issues. A taxi driver informed him that obtaining fuel often required waiting in line for up to eight hours, with each buyer limited to 20 to 40 liters.
When attempting to purchase an ETECSA SIM card, BROBA found the office closed due to a power outage. Without internet access or Cuban pesos, he resorted to the informal market to exchange his dollars.
The video about Los Pocitos, uploaded in May 2026, has garnered over 57,000 views on YouTube.
Revealing Cuba's Unseen Realities
BROBA is part of an increasing number of foreign creators who have toured Cuba, using their platforms to reveal a reality far removed from the island's typical tourist image. In recent months, YouTubers from various countries have documented power cuts, poverty, scarcity, and urban decay, drawing numerous comments from Cubans acknowledging these familiar situations.
With the crumbling buildings of the capital on one side and the Florida Straits on the other, BROBA reflected on the gap between the reality he was beginning to uncover and the ocean's symbolism for generations of Cubans.
"Behind me is a city in ruins, constantly struggling to survive. But in front of me lies the endless ocean, with waves that scream freedom," he expressed.
He concluded with a particularly poignant remark for a country from which millions have emigrated over decades: "The weight of that word is even heavier when you realize that freedom is just 90 miles away."
Understanding Life in Los Pocitos, Havana
What are the living conditions like in Los Pocitos?
Residents of Los Pocitos face challenging living conditions with makeshift homes next to a polluted river and frequent power outages lasting up to 12 hours.
How do residents cope with housing issues in Los Pocitos?
Many residents build their own homes due to a lack of housing alternatives, even if it means living next to a contaminated river.
What challenges did BROBA face upon arriving in Havana?
BROBA encountered issues such as long waits for fuel, limited access to SIM cards due to power outages, and the need to use the informal market to exchange currency.