An emotional and heartbreaking message from a Cuban father to his daughter, who lives in the United States, has gone viral on social media. Through a video shared on TikTok by user Niurka Préstamo Oficial, the young woman revealed the difficult conversation she had with her father, who urged her not to return to the island due to the critical situation the country is facing.
"Yesterday I received a call, and it was my dad. He said: 'Daughter, nothing works here. I'm calling to tell you not to come back to Cuba anymore. You don't deserve to see the mess this country has become, the misery in which your family, friends, and neighbors live. You don't deserve to see the poverty in this country, where even a child asks you for money to buy a chocolate.'" , recounted the Cuban woman, her voice trembling with emotion.
The father, aware of his daughter's nostalgia and desire to reunite with her loved ones, firmly advised her not to renew her passport and to keep in her memory the image of Cuba that she knew in her childhood. "He told me: 'Don’t get your passport, you don’t need to come for anything. Hold on to the memory'", the young woman added in her touching testimony.
The video has had a strong impact among Cubans inside and outside the island, who have identified with the pain and helplessness of the young woman and her father. The economic and social situation in Cuba has deteriorated in recent years, with rampant inflation, shortages of food and medicine, and an unprecedented wave of migration.
The despair reflected in this message is not an isolated case. More and more Cubans are being forced to make difficult decisions in light of the crisis the country is facing, leaving their loved ones behind in search of a better future. While some cling to the hope of change, others, like this young woman's father, choose to protect their children from the pain of witnessing the harsh reality of the island.
The testimony of the Cuban has been widely shared on social media, where hundreds of users have expressed their solidarity and understanding. "It hurts so much to see our Cuba like this, but it's the harsh reality," commented a user on TikTok. "Your dad is right, there’s nothing to look for here," noted another internet user.
The crisis in Cuba continues to drive thousands of people to seek new opportunities outside the country, while those who remain face the daily challenge of surviving in increasingly adverse conditions. For many, like this Cuban father, the only way to protect their loved ones is by asking them not to return.
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