A young Cuban living in the Dominican Republic sparked a wave of comments on TikTok by listing, in a respectful yet direct tone, several aspects of the country that she does not like. “I say this out of respect,” she clarified before discussing issues such as noise, power outages, traffic, and insecurity.
“These are things I don't like about the Dominican Republic, folks, and before you tell me ‘go back to your country’ and roast me in the comments, take a minute to listen,” said Mónica, identified as @cubana_en_rd.
The first situation she mentioned was the habit of saying “I’m on my way” when the person hasn’t even left yet. “Oh, that drives me absolutely crazy. Seriously, it’s not just that I can wait for you or that you have some sort of problem or whatever. Please, tell me the truth. Say, ‘Look, Mónica, I’m in the shower, but I’ll be there in 30 minutes,’ that’s real time, because if you say ‘I’m on my way,’ I’m going to think you’re actually on your way. So please, don’t do that to me, dear.”
Regarding the noise in his community, he said: “The other day we were on a live stream and it was 10:30 at night, and my neighbors were having a loud party. As you know, many people really have to get up early for work on Mondays, and kids have to get ready for school. So I don’t like that; there is little respect for the neighbors' tranquility. I really see this as a serious issue here and I feel it’s something that can be worked on and improved.”
He also spoke about traffic and road safety: “It’s the lack of road discipline, gentlemen. We all know that you have to go out onto the street with God and faith, because if you look the wrong way, a driver will take you out. It’s quite difficult for people like us from countries where there isn’t as much traffic to walk down the street and keep an eye out to see if a car or a motorist is going to hit you.”
Regarding electricity service and connectivity, he noted: “One of the things I dislike is unexpected blackouts. When I lived in Cuba, there was hardly ever any electricity, and I know many will say, ‘Yes, but in Cuba, the power always went out.’ Obviously. If I leave Cuba, I expect to at least have power here. So, all of a sudden, just for the sake of it, I'm going to record a video, and the power goes out on me, and the internet where I live is terrible.”
Regarding security, he stated: “I believe the thing that has affected me the most since I arrived in this country is security. It's one of the things I like the least. I know people will tell me that most countries in Latin America are the same, and that's true; there are also unsafe moments in Cuba, people are murdered there as well, but not to the level of the Dominican Republic. You all know very well that if you're not careful on the street, a motorcyclist could take you and make you disappear. And I, at least, have never seen a gun in my life, so it’s truly something I don’t like much about this country, but, well, I’ll have to get used to it.”
Upon closing the video, he reiterated: “I’ve said it before, and I say it with respect, before you start to cancel me and make disparaging comments. I am not criticizing the country. I simply feel as Dominican as you do, and the things I see that are wrong and believe can be improved, I point them out because in the end, we are all brothers.”
The video sparked a wave of reactions. "You're right, nothing and no one is respected here," wrote a Dominican woman. "I am Dominican and I completely agree with you," commented another. But it also received criticism: "If you don't like it, go back to Cuba," "We can talk about ourselves, foreigners cannot."
Mónica responded in several comments. "This is not a lament, it's an opinion, and it's valid too." To another user who accused her of complaining without taking action, she said: "One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and you know that, which is why you also left." She defended her right to express herself: "I know what I saw because I’m from there; I was born and raised there and experienced all the shortages, the hunger, and so on. But that doesn’t mean we can cover the sun with one finger, and I’m simply expressing an opinion in a country where there IS freedom."
Recently, Mónica also shared how she emigrated to the Dominican Republic after graduating from Medical School in Cuba. “My dad didn’t have the financial means to facilitate my departure from the country, so we had to explore other options.” She explained that initially, she was going to travel as a mule, but decided to stay in the country and applied for a residency visa, which her father managed. “Thanks to God and to everyone who contributed in some way, it was approved.”
His testimony adds to other accounts from Cubans who have emigrated to the Dominican Republic and share their experiences through social media. Last April, the user @kristiano_beats posted a video in which he claimed to feel at home in a Dominican neighborhood. “You are in Cuba; it’s the same as in Cuba, the same neighborhood, everything is the same,” he said. He also praised the variety in the colmados and the warmth of the people, although he admitted that he can't get used to the sweet beans.
In January, Cuban Eliza expressed her surprise at the abundance in supermarkets, the speed of the internet, and modern transportation. “Here, videos upload like a rocket,” she said on her TikTok.
Another testimonial came from Claudia Jauregui, who publicly expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome she has received in the country. “Now I eat mangú, mofongo, and I know how to say ‘what’s up, that thing, give me a little’,” she humorously shared.
At the end of her video, Mónica left the conversation open with a question: “Let me know in the comments, if you are Dominican or if you are a foreigner living here, what else you don't really like about the DR and think we could improve.”
Filed under:
