The Cuban content creator Yaneisy Canta sparked a heated debate on social media after posting a video in which she denounces the restrictions imposed by the regime on fishing in Cuba.
In Cuba, fishing is illegal; to do so, you must have a special permit, he explains while preparing two recipes in his kitchen. The first is a fish stew (fish hash), and from that, he makes some croquettes.
In the video, which has surpassed 900,000 views on Instagram, Yaneisy showcases a fish commonly known as macabí and remarks that eating this food "is a luxury that few can afford in the city."
“In my village, being a fisherman is not a sport; it is the livelihood of many families.”
The young woman often shares recipes and glimpses of her daily life on the island. In this video, she highlighted the solidarity among the residents of the coastal community where she lives.
"No one is denied a fish here", he said. However, he lamented the difficulties in obtaining this food and the absurd official restrictions that penalize fishing without state authorization.
Your question “Why is it illegal to fish?” sparked thousands of comments from Cubans both inside and outside the country.
“It is illegal because it is a dictatorship and a method of social control,” wrote one user, while another summarized: “On an island surrounded by sea, the regime even prohibits fishing for food.”
Other internet users from countries like Argentina, Venezuela, and Spain compared the situation to their own regulations, noting that in Cuba the difference lies in the fact that fishing is not restricted for ecological reasons, but rather due to the state's political control over natural resources.
The publication by Yaneisy Canta went viral quickly, and thousands of users praised her for highlighting, from her kitchen, a reality that many Cubans face daily: the difficulty of obtaining food and the regime's tight control over everyday life.
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