A Spanish tourist has touched thousands on TikTok with a video in which she describes her experience after traveling to Cuba, a country that, she says, "is not just any trip; it penetrates your soul, it hurts you, and it awakens you." Her reflection, however, has sparked an intense debate among Cubans both on the island and abroad.
In the video, posted by creator @andreapalomo, the young woman shares that her experience on the island was "a blend of beauty and reality that disorients you and opens your eyes." "There I understood that life is not fair, but it continues to beat with an unbreakable strength," she says, while images of Havana streets, children playing, and dilapidated houses appear in the background.
The Spaniard assures that Cubans "will offer you all the love that their leaders lack for their homeland," and that they taught her "to endure and smile while everything crumbles around them." Her message concludes with a phrase that encapsulates the impact the trip had on her: "Cuba was not just a destination, it was a mirror. It showed me what I have, what I should value, and what I sometimes take for granted."
But beyond the emotion, the reactions quickly followed. Dozens of Cubans thanked him for his words, recognizing a human and empathetic vision of the country in them. “Thank you for showing what we really are,” wrote one user. Another commented: “You have described the true spirit of Cuba and its people. I thank you for speaking from the heart.”
However, others responded from pain and distance. “It’s not the same to visit it as it is to live it,” commented a Cuban in exile. “Cuba hurts when it touches you from within, not when you see it for a few days,” added another user. Some lamented that many tourists “romanticize poverty and suffering” without understanding the harsh daily reality faced by Cubans.
The video by Andrea Palomo, which has garnered thousands of views, has become a kind of mirror reflecting two perspectives: that of the visitor discovering an endearing island and that of those who left in search of a better life. Once again, Cuba divides emotions—between nostalgia and critique, between love and uprooting—confirming that, as one follower stated, “Cuba is not visited, it is felt, but sometimes it also hurts to live it.”
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