A young Cuban identified on TikTok as @its_sandry_ has gone viral after posting a video in which she recounts the five things that impacted her the most upon returning to Cuba after nearly two years away from the country.
"I returned to Cuba after almost 2 years away, and here are five things that surprised me a lot," he wrote in the description of the video, where he lists situations that—according to his testimony—reflect the decline in services and quality of life on the Island.
The first situation he mentioned was seeing vehicles from the state telecommunications company being used as hearses. He explained that these cars were transporting bodies to cemeteries or crematoriums due to the lack of operational hearses. “These are cars from a telecommunications company that are carrying the bodies of people who are no longer in this earthly realm with us,” he remarked.
Secondly, he pointed out the accumulation of garbage in various areas of the country. He stated that there are makeshift dumps “on every corner, in every place, in every nook.” According to his account, the trucks from Community Services have not been collecting waste regularly due to a lack of fuel.
The third point was the fuel crisis. He explained that it is not possible to buy gasoline freely at state service stations, as sales are limited and controlled through an application called Ticket. He detailed that only up to 20 liters can be purchased when the assigned turn comes, which can take weeks or even months.
In addition, he stated that in the informal market, a liter of gasoline can cost between 2,500 and 5,000 Cuban pesos (CUP), which is approximately equivalent to between 8 and 10 United States dollars (USD) at the informal exchange rate.
As a fourth issue, he reported that public transportation is severely affected by the lack of fuel. "Public transportation is practically nonexistent," he stated. Due to the scarcity of buses and collective vehicles, citizens are forced to turn to private transportation, whose prices have increased considerably due to the high cost of gasoline.
Finally, he noted the restrictions on purchasing mobile data packages. He explained that it is only possible to acquire a monthly package of 6 GB for 360 CUP. If the user needs more data, they must turn to the informal market, where the same package can cost around 1,200 CUP, or rely on an international top-up sent from abroad.
The testimony has generated numerous reactions on social media, where other Cubans both inside and outside the country have shared similar experiences regarding fuel shortages, the deterioration of public services, and the daily challenges of accessing basic products and connectivity.
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