A Cuban content creator recently went viral after sharing an Instagram reel, where he playfully built up a romantic expectation about the arrival of "his great love" from Canada, only to reveal at the end that the coveted object was a bottle of cooking oil.
The video, posted by user @angel_denis_vlogs, garnered 46,000 likes and nearly 2,000 comments, thanks to its narrative twist that struck a deep chord with Cubans: the acute shortage of cooking oil, which by 2026 had become one of the hardest commodities to find on the island.
"Today, my great love arrives at my home; he's coming all the way from Canada. I won't deny that the distance and waiting have been really tough," the creator begins, using a tone that any viewer might interpret as a long-distance love story.
Throughout the clip, he details his preparation routine: cleaning the house, washing dishes, trimming his grandmother's nails, and peeling plantains to make tostones, all while eagerly awaiting the arrival of his "great love" (the shipment).
"Honestly, I've missed it every moment, especially in the kitchen, where we complement each other the most," he adds, still keeping the true nature of his "love" a secret.
"The wait is truly hard because it's a whirlwind of emotions, the most nerve-wracking thing in the world," he confesses, just before the vehicle finally honks at the door.
When the bottle of oil finally reaches his hands, the creator concludes the video by kissing the bottle and uttering a phrase that perfectly encapsulates the resigned humor of many Cubans facing this crisis: "Only Cubans will understand this feeling right now."
Receiving oil from abroad isn't just a comedic exaggeration; it's a daily reality for thousands of families on the island. Following the Ministry of Finance and Prices' Resolution 150/2026, released on June 20, 2026, which removed price caps, the product's cost soared dramatically. From about 1,500 pesos in April, oil prices surged to 2,500 pesos in Havana by July and reached between 4,000 and 7,000 pesos per liter by August, depending on the province and seller.
The video by @angel_denis_vlogs is part of a wave of dark humor that has flooded Cuban social media in response to the oil shortage. A 24-year-old Cuban stored his bottle in a safe with the message "Fight for your dreams"; a mother went viral posing with hers under the caption "I've got gold in my hands"; and another Cuban even declared an "oil strike" against the skyrocketing prices.
What should be an everyday ingredient has become, under the regime's systemic crisis, an object of desire, celebration, and now, a symbol of great love arriving from Canada.
Understanding the Cuban Oil Crisis
Why is cooking oil so scarce in Cuba?
Cooking oil has become scarce in Cuba due to economic mismanagement and policy changes, such as the removal of price caps, which have caused prices to skyrocket and supply to dwindle.
How much is cooking oil costing in Cuba?
As of 2026, cooking oil prices have escalated dramatically, ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 pesos per liter, depending on the region and seller.
What measures are Cubans taking in response to the oil shortage?
Cubans are using humor and creativity to cope with the scarcity, turning to social media to share their experiences and even declaring "oil strikes" to protest against the high prices.