A recent TikTok video by a young Spanish woman known online as Judit Gómez (@juditgm96) has sparked a strong wave of reactions after she shared her travel experience to Cuba, highlighting the "downsides" of visiting the island, including shortages, deteriorated infrastructure, and restrictions for entering the United States after traveling to the island.
The biggest controversy arose when referring to the U.S. embargo as a "blockade," which sparked a flood of criticism in the comments.
"The political situation in Cuba is complicated; it has an economic blockade, which leads to shortages in the country. This affects both the population and tourists," he stated in his video—adding to others about his experience on the island—in which he also mentioned, "if your idea is to go to the Caribbean to stay at an all-inclusive resort and not leave the hotel, you should go to Mexico or Punta Cana, which might be more your type of place."
He also explained that "if you later want to travel to the United States, you need to obtain a special visa, which I understand takes many months to get."
Her words unleashed a flood of comments that refuted her, with users insisting that Cuba's problem is not the U.S. embargo, but the socialist dictatorship.
Some also replied that "it's not a blockade, it's called communism," while others pointed out that "the problem in Cuba is not the embargo, but its government" or that "the United States does sell food and medicine to Cuba, the Cuban government doesn't have the money to pay for them."
It was also noted that "to say that the shortages are due to the blockade is to repeat the regime's propaganda" and that "if the embargo is the issue, why is there no shortage in luxury hotels?". Other users expressed that "because of videos like this, people continue to believe in the lie of the blockade" and that "Cuba has trade relations with over 150 countries; the problem is its failed economic model."
After the wave of criticism, Judit Gómez responded with a second video. "Given that your listening comprehension is quite low, I'm going to explain the issue clearly, because it seems you don't want to listen," she said at the beginning of the clip. She assured that she had done her research: "I've informed myself, I've looked for sources," and mentioned Wikipedia, CNN, and the UN. "Wikipedia states that the U.S. embargo on Cuba is a legal framework that regulates economic relations. The UN has voted 32 times against this embargo. So, it exists, it really does." She added that "all Spaniards who have been in Cuba since the designation date of 12/02/2021 will see their ESTA travel authorizations under the visa waiver program canceled." And while she acknowledged that some told her it is not a blockade but rather sanctions for being on the list of terrorist countries, she replied: "Okay, they are still sanctions."
Her response, far from calming the discussion, generated even more negative reactions. Several users questioned her sources and tone. One sarcastically remarked, "Wikipedia? Seriously? Was that the research?" Another commented, "Saying that the embargo is the cause of Cuba's crisis is just repeating the regime's narrative." In the same vein, someone pointed out, "Cuba trades with the entire world, even with the U.S.; the embargo is not the reason for the shortages." Criticism of her attitude also multiplied: "You get upset when corrected, but the truth is you are misinformed," wrote one follower. Another user asserted, "You don't understand how the Cuban government works. The embargo is not the cause of the crisis," while someone else noted, "You lack the humility to admit you were wrong." Some reminded her, "Cuban people don't need you to explain our reality," and concluded that "the real blockade is the one imposed by the Cuban government against its own people."
On February 3rd, 63 years have passed since then-President John F. Kennedy signed the executive order that established the trade embargo against the Cuban regime in response to the expropriation of U.S. companies on the island. Since then, it has been modified several times, with laws such as the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, which tightened sanctions. However, the embargo does not prohibit the sale of food or medicines to Cuba, and the island maintains trade relations with over 150 countries. Despite this, the Cuban regime has utilized the embargo as a propaganda tool to justify the country's economic crisis, which is actually due to the socialist model imposed by the Communist Party.
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