The Cuban content creator Dairon Cano traveled from Miami to Havana to welcome the new year with his family and shared a video on social media that quickly went viral.
The images show a flight full of passengers heading to Cuba, many loaded with suitcases and nostalgia. Cano spoke with several of them, who defended their right to spend the holidays with their loved ones, despite the immigration restrictions imposed by the Trump administration, and regardless of the crisis the island is facing with blackouts and shortages of all kinds.
The video sparked an intense debate among Cubans in exile. While some celebrated family reunions, others criticized the frequent trips to Cuba, reminding that many emigrated citing political persecution.
Among the harshest comments, one stood out that became almost a slogan: "Don't forget about the bread with steak," referring to a term popularized by the influencer Alexander Otaola. He uses this expression to describe émigrés living in the United States who enjoy their freedoms but maintain a condescending attitude towards the Cuban regime.
The "pan con bistec Cubans," according to Otaola, are those who "want a quiet life in the United States without taking a stand against the dictatorship, so they can return again and again to show how well they are doing while the people remain in misery."
Beyond the mockery, the label reflects a fracture within the exile community and the tension that exists between those who remain actively committed against the regime and those who prefer silence or neutrality in order to embrace their family members from time to time.
Dairon Cano's flight became a symbol of a duality that defines much of the Cuban diaspora. It is the everyday story of the emigrant who thrives in Miami but continues to dream of the corner of his neighborhood in Havana and the kisses of his loved ones, even knowing that during a visit to Cuba, there will be places where he won't find even a simple steak sandwich to eat.
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