"My trip to Cuba this time impacted me greatly; I return with a shattered soul, a broken heart, and mixed emotions about what Cuba was versus what it is now. I was deeply moved by the people and the situation in Cuba… I literally have no words,” Rosylen (@rosalbaherrera1694) described her experience during her most recent visit to the island, a journey that left her profoundly affected and with a sadness that she cannot overcome.
In her testimony, Rosylen also shared photos with her family and reflected on how difficult it was to confront the current reality of her homeland. “My trip to Cuba to see my family was an emotionally charged journey, and I returned with a broken heart but filled with energy,” she wrote in a message full of nostalgia.
While showing aerial images of Havana from the plane, he confessed that this trip was different, much more painful. "Food costs double or more than it does here. All I do is cry," he added in response to one of the comments he received.
His message sparked an avalanche of reactions on TikTok, where many shared their own heartaches after visiting the island and reflected on the situation. “And you broke me, your voice when it cracked”; “I came the same way, I spent a week crying”; “People are very thin, sunburned from searching for something to eat, with sadness and disappointment etched on their faces and in their souls”; “My son told me when he returned on Saturday: ‘Mom, I left half my life in Cuba.’ My grandmother, my sister… he came back very depressed”; “God bless you. The one who gives what they have left gives nothing; the one who shares what they have is blessed”; “I went not long ago and came back the same, but hearing you breaks me again”; “Cuba needs to be free”; “The Cuban people like to live this way”; “I will never stop helping them, never”; “The dictatorship is to blame, but there are many there and here who defend it too”; “Those with family there resolve things quickly, but those of us who have flesh and blood have to take care of things rightly”; “The situation in Cuba is so bad that we have to send them even oxygen to keep living”; “I spent three days crying upon my return; one wishes to be able to do more”; “Every passing day is an inhumane challenge”; “Hearing you broke me. I’m going in a few days and I’m already feeling unwell.”
The impact of their words has resonated beyond their usual followers. Many reflected on the responsibility of those outside, not only to help their families but also to seek profound change on the island.
Cuba remains an open wound for those who had to emigrate, and videos like Rosylen's serve as a reminder of the pain that comes with leaving loved ones behind, knowing how much they suffer each day.
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