Dozens of Cubans, many of themmarginalized by high rent prices in Miami, they survive in makeshift camps on an abandoned highway in the Florida Keys.
Tiktoker Rainier (rainiererquiaga) published on his TikTok channel thevideo about a settlement on the so-called old road of Marathon Key, where dozens of adult and elderly men live in tents and wait for the lobster season.
One of them, quite young, commented that until the lobster season arrives "they are dying of hunger."
Likewise, he showed how they live on the sides of the road, with their "balconies" facing the undergrowth, their dogs and their beds of tomato, lettuce and cachucha chili on the side of the old Marathon bridge with no exit.
Rainier opened a GoFundMe account tohelp these immigrants, and in a second video he showed how part of the aid was distributed.
The activist confirmed that only people of legal age live there.
The fact has divided opinions, between those who affirm that it is "Incredible, he lives the best life he can. Planting food, cleaning, he does not complain" or "Honestly, without having anything left inside, they live better than one. I live stressed looking for money to pay rent"; and those who affirm that "to live like this, I'd better stay in Cuba."
"Excuse my comment, what is he doing with that great body living on the street", "Welcome to the new Cuba, these people dragging misery from their island", and "I met a LOT like that in Miami, half of them committed suicide, the Another half died or DRUGS AND ALCOHOL did their job... coming to the US to play that role, I'm stuck!!!", were other comments on the publication.
High rent prices in South Florida have pushed thousands of families onto the streets, where they survive in similar encampments or inside their cars in Miami.
In the city of Hialeah, which faces a migration crisis and where an “affordable” rent can cost more than $1,300, Cuban migrants prefer to sleep in their cars and live on the streets.
"I prefer to sleep in a van than pay rent, because an efficiency costs 1,300 dollars. There are those who pay 1,800 dollars," said a Cuban recently on condition of anonymity.
In 2021, Miami commissioners passed legislation criminalizing makeshift homeless encampments, and this year Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning sleeping on public property.
Opponents of the measure claim that the Republican wants to remove the housing problem from public view.
However, DeSantis promised greater access to services for homeless people, such as treatment for psychoactive substance abuse and mental health problems.
It is estimated that of the 420,000 migrants who arrived from Cuba to the United States in the last two years, 75% ended up in South Florida.
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