The American content creator @always.packing305, known on social media as AlwaysPacking, shared in several videos his experience during a trip to Cuba in May 2025, where he claims to have been profoundly impacted by the reality faced by Cubans outside of tourist circuits.
"I went to Cuba legally, under a people-to-people exchange exception, intending to support the Cubans. What I saw changed me.", stated the influencer, who insisted that his goal was not tourism, but to understand daily life on the island.
In his publications, he describes a "devastating" scenario characterized by food insecurity, dilapidated housing, constant blackouts, lack of drinking water, and a complete absence of basic freedoms.
“It is not a reflection of the Cuban people, whose warmth and humanity are undeniable. It is the result of a system that has completely failed them,” he expressed.
AlwaysPacking shared that during their stay they lodged in private homes, experienced power outages, endured the heat without air conditioning or hot water showers, and witnessed how people fought daily for survival.
If someone says that traveling to Cuba isn't that serious, my question is: What Cuba were they looking at?
The creator also criticized the lack of real coverage regarding the Cuban crisis and called on other American influencers to show the reality of the Caribbean country, without filters.
“The truth does not become more valid simply because a famous person says it. My eyes work too,” he said.
This American traveler has visited many capitals of the world, but Havana left him with a sad memory.
"I returned with a broken heart, but with the hope of someday seeing a free Cuba," he concluded. His words and videos have been widely shared by Cubans both on the island and abroad, grateful for his honest perspective on a reality that many live in silence.
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