Cuban shows Havana from the perspective of the ordinary Cuban: "The one that tourist promotions don't sell you."

"Havana is falling apart", says the Cuban content creator @kary_y_jony as she walks through the streets of the capital in a video recently posted on TikTok. The footage shows collapsed houses, garbage in the corners, and an atmosphere of despair that, according to the narrator, is the starkest reflection of daily life on the island.

"Searching for food has become a challenge," she comments with a firm voice. "Trying to make a month's salary last at least three days is the hardest task," she adds while showing empty markets or those with exorbitant prices. The young woman denounces a growing social inequality and the impact of the dollar's value on the informal economy, which dictates the prices of basic necessities.

The video portrays a scene where some Cubans, as it states, “sell even products they find in the trash” to survive. “This is how Havana is today, the reality faced by ordinary Cubans, not the one sold by tourist promotions,” it concludes, inviting its followers to comment on whether this reality is echoed in other parts of the country.

The content sparked immediate reactions on social media. “What about the revolution?” questioned one user, while another sarcastically remarked, “They still have many May 1sts ahead... let them keep marching.” There were also more emotional responses, such as one internet user who simply posted emojis of broken hearts alongside Cuban flags.

Others pointed out the manipulation of official language, mocking the term "informal change": "Informal change? It's just the black market as always," commented a user with a laugh.

It's not the first time that @kary_y_jony has documented the decline of public spaces in Cuba. Last March, she shared a video of the Chinatown in Havana, where she showcased empty restaurants and painted facades that conceal structural deterioration. "The prices are hardly affordable for a worker's salary," she said at the time.

Days before, he also published images of the Sports City, reflecting its neglect: “The grass grows on the track while the sporting spirit fades away like the color of its stadium.”

The complaints coincide with other reports about the housing crisis and urban collapse. In Old Havana, a young man showed how he has been living with his mother among rubble for four years since the partial collapse of their home. “I’m afraid it will fall on me while I sleep, but I have nowhere to go,” he stated in a video shared by @creadorcubano.

According to official figures, 35% of homes in Cuba are in poor condition, although independent sources suggest that the percentage is even higher. The state housing plan barely achieved 39% of its goal in 2024.

Other testimonies, such as that of @anita.cubanita64 from Matanzas, reveal sources of unsanitary conditions in communities where garbage accumulates for years without intervention. “The houses are filled with flies and mosquitoes,” she said in one of her videos. Despite the surroundings, the young mother tries to remain optimistic, showing how she grows food and helps other neighbors.

Testimonials from various provinces converge on a common narrative: that of a country caught between decay, the lack of state responses, and the daily resilience of its citizens. Havana, a historical and cultural symbol of Cuba, now stands as an emblem of neglect and inequality.

“Such is Havana today, of which little is said,” concludes @kary_y_jony, whose voice joins that of many Cubans who, from their phones and social media, tell a reality that is not seen in postcards or official speeches.

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