A young Cuban identified on social media as @zol.arias shared a video in which she responds to those who ask why she has not yet left Cuba, simply explaining the reasons that keep her on the island.
“People, don’t ask me anymore why I haven’t left Cuba. I need three things, three things to leave Cuba: a passport, money, and a visa. Guess which of the three I have? A passport. I still don’t have either money or a visa. When I have those two, then we can talk about where I’m going,” says the young woman at the beginning of the video.
In her message, apparently recorded in the midst of a blackout, the Cuban woman insists that her desire is to emigrate, but that economic and bureaucratic limitations hinder her: “Don't stress me out, people, I also want to leave here, don’t think that I don’t want to leave, I do want to, it’s just that I haven’t been able to yet.”
The young woman adds that she does not work "at the airport or in any consulate" and that if the consuls do not grant her a visa, she has no way to leave the country: "Just imagine, imagine, what can I do, I can’t...", she concludes before stopping as she hears the voice of a street vendor outside.
The video sparked an intense debate among users, with hundreds of comments ranging from expressions of solidarity to offers of help or proposals to emigrate to other countries. Some suggested alternatives such as Nicaragua, Mexico, Peru, or Panama, while others recalled the high costs of the Cuban passport and the difficulty of obtaining visas.
One of the users wrote to her: "Love, I’m taking you to Nicaragua with me," to which another person replied: "Nowhere in the video does it say she's looking for a husband." In another thread, a user clarified: "She doesn’t need to get married to leave Cuba; she needs money."
Other messages, on the other hand, reflect empathy and understanding of the situation many Cubans are facing. “God willing, they can leave there soon,” someone commented, while another pointed out, “The ones who need to leave are the Castro family.”
The issue of immigration continues to be one of the greatest concerns for thousands of Cubans. In recent years, the economic crisis, low wages, and lack of freedoms have led to an unprecedented exodus, with routes including visa-free countries like Nicaragua, and riskier options to the United States through Central America.
According to official figures from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), over 400,000 Cubans arrived in U.S. territory in the past two fiscal years, while thousands more remain stranded in various locations across the continent.
The situation for Cubans wishing to emigrate has worsened due to the high costs of procedures and the lack of diplomatic options. The countries with visa-free access for Cuban citizens have decreased in recent years, and obtaining a visa at foreign consulates often involves lengthy processes and high costs.
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