The trip that was supposed to be an emotional reunion turned into a nightmare for Giselle, a Cuban resident in Spain who reported on TikTok, under the username @giselle_mimundo, that she was denied entry to Cuba after ten years without seeing her family. The young woman explained that she traveled with her Spanish passport and a tourist visa, but upon arriving on the island, the authorities required her Cuban passport, which she did not have because —as she recounted— the embassy had assured her it was not necessary.
“I had my bags packed for over a month. I brought absolutely everything because there’s nothing there, especially medications. I was happy, making friends on the plane, imagining myself with my loved ones... and upon arrival, everything fell apart,” Giselle recounted in her video, visibly affected. “They told me that without a Cuban passport, I couldn’t enter, and I didn’t have it because the embassy told me I could do it with my Spanish one. I am dehydrated from crying,” she said through tears.
In her testimony, the young woman indicated that the authorities informed her she could process her Cuban passport directly at the airport, but the process did not materialize. Ultimately, she was sent back to Spain after several hours of waiting. Giselle shared that her greatest pain was not being able to see her family, whom she had not hugged in a decade.
The case generated a wave of reactions on social media, especially among Cubans living abroad, who confirmed in the comments of the video that Cuban law requires those born on the island to enter and exit the country with a Cuban passport, even if they hold another citizenship. "That's always been the case; Cuba does not recognize dual nationality," explained some users.
Others criticized the lack of information from airlines and Cuban embassies, as they believe that this restriction is not clearly communicated. “What’s strange is that they allowed her to board the plane without checking that detail,” commented one follower, while others described the cost and the obstacles to obtaining the document as unjust, considering it one of the most expensive in the world.
The story of @giselle_mimundo went viral and stirred empathy among hundreds of Cubans who have faced similar situations when trying to return to their country. Her case once again brought to the forefront a sensitive issue for the diaspora: the legal limitations imposed by the Cuban government even on those who, after many years, just wish to see their family again.
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