A Cuban influencer identified as Izygamer5 was assaulted by an elderly man while in line to obtain the Clásica card, used in Cuba to access food and fuel products in freely convertible currency (MLC).
According to what she explained in her video, the young woman went to a CADECA office (Casas de Cambio, S.A) a few days ago, where the altercation took place. "There was a huge line, but the teller told me, 'Classic card holders don’t have to wait in line. Just come in and that's it,'" she recounted.
While attempting to access directly, as instructed, she was intercepted by an older man who claimed his spot in line. “He says to me: ‘You’re not going in, it’s my turn, I’ve been here since five in the morning,’” the young woman explained in her live on TikTok.
Although she tried to explain to him that she had priority, the man did not accept her argument and violently struck her with a cane, resulting in a visible bruise on one of her eyes. “I was hit with a stick... look at what it did to my eye,” the young woman said, removing the filters from the camera to show the injury.
The influencer confessed that she had not done any broadcasts in the previous days to avoid showing herself with an injured face, and stated that she has been forced to wear sunglasses permanently since the incident.
"I couldn't turn around and slap him because he is an older person," she added, lamenting that she couldn't act differently or call the police, given the vulnerable situation of the aggressor.
During her account, the young woman also expressed her frustration with the general state of queues in Cuba and the growing social tension. "Older people are more aggressive than young people in this country," she remarked.
Additionally, he ridiculed what he considered a bitter reward: “Look at the irony of what the Clásica card cost me. Now I’m going to see who’s going to be the brave one to recharge it, because I’m not recharging anything.”
What is the Clásica card and why does it generate so much tension?
The Classic card is a financial product launched by the Cuban regime through the state corporations CIMEX and FINCIMEX, both controlled by the military conglomerate GAESA.
It is a prepaid card that can only be recharged in US dollars, designed for the purchase of food, hygiene products, fuel, and other goods in state-owned stores and service centers that operate in MLC.
Since its launch in January 2024, access to this card has been characterized by long lines, logistical issues, and citizen complaints, such as the one involving the influencer Izygamer5.
Although it is promoted with supposed discounts and benefits, its use is limited to those who have access to foreign currency or remittances from abroad, which excludes the majority of Cubans who receive their income in Cuban pesos (CUP).
Additionally, it does not allow for recharges in euros or other foreign currencies, and its balance is non-refundable in case of leaving the country. Money can only be withdrawn in CUP, which enables the regime to maintain control over the flow of foreign currency without jeopardizing the outflow of dollars from the island.
Recently, the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel has intensified social media and official media propaganda to encourage its use, and has even launched promotions for occasions like Valentine's Day.
However, various voices from the economic and social spheres have warned that this model of "partial dollarization" only deepens social inequalities, as it increasingly shifts basic goods into the commercial circuit in foreign currency and restricts purchasing options in the national currency.
This context partly explains the atmosphere of tension present in the CADECA offices, where these cards are processed, and where the conflict described by the influencer is not an isolated case, but rather a reflection of a social reality marked by scarcity, economic exclusion, and the devaluation of the CUP as a functional currency.
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