The Cuban influencer Kary Sánchez (@kary_y_jony) recently showcased in a video the isolation conditions in which the community of Boca de Miel lives, in Baracoa, where residents still lack land access eight months after Hurricane Óscar passed through.
“This community lives in isolation in Cuba,” she stated while documenting her journey in a paddle boat —a small rowing vessel— to cross the Miel River, the only way to reach the city. The trip costs five Cuban pesos and is subject to the availability of the boat operator.
The images show remnants of the old collapsed bridge, as well as a dilapidated wooden pathway that children and adults cross daily to get to school or work. “Since Hurricane Oscar, the bridge that provided access to the area has been devastated,” commented the young content creator.
Users reacted to the video with phrases like "it's intense" or "the place is very beautiful, but abandoned," while others remembered similar communities such as Cayo Granma in Santiago de Cuba. Some also highlighted the quality of the audiovisual material and its value in bringing attention to silenced realities.
This is not the first time the influencer has highlighted the decline of the eastern city. In another recent video, she described Baracoa as "a faded city abandoned to its fate," with closed hotels, prolonged blackouts, and no opportunities for its residents.
The situation in Boca de Miel had already been reported in recent days when it was alerted that more than 500 people remain cut off from communication, with authorities failing to provide a solution or timeline for reconstruction. The only alternative to cross the river continues to be the cayuca, with restricted hours and limitations for emergency situations.
Neighbors have reported that nighttime passage is prohibited and that the cayuquero is required to have life jackets and other equipment that they have no means to acquire. “When someone gets sick, they take away the little boat at six in the evening, and they can't travel at night because it is prohibited,” stated a resident.
Meanwhile, the makeshift wooden bridge continues to be in use, posing a risk to those who cross it. The situation in Boca de Miel reflects the neglect experienced by many communities in Cuba, with no institutional responses and a population that persists, despite everything.
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