A 15-second viral video on TikTok published last Wednesday by the account @historiamerica shows, through artificial intelligence, what a bridge connecting Havana to Miami across the Florida Strait would look like. The clip quickly went viral among Cubans both on and off the island, sparking a wave of emotion and nostalgia that has spread across social media.
The video arrives at a time of heightened political anticipation: the Cuban regime confirmed that it is ready to engage in dialogue with the United States, following a week of unprecedented statements from President Donald Trump regarding a potential "friendly acquisition" of the island. In this atmosphere filled with hope, the AI-generated images of a transformed Cuba resonate with a special intensity.
This is not the first video of this kind published by the same account. Last Wednesday, March 4, @historiamerica shared another AI clip that depicted the Malecón of Havana in a free Cuba: modern, restored, and prosperous, accompanied by "Nuestro Día (Ya Viene Llegando)," the anthem of the Cuban exile composed by Willy Chirino in 1991. That video also sparked a strong emotional reaction among Cubans.
In January, the account @ilovecubita posted on TikTok a AI video that transformed a dilapidated building in Havana into a restored structure with balconies and gardens, accumulating thousands of views. The comments from Cubans in response to those images captured the collective sentiment: "My God, put your hand and help us lift our island."
The trend has its roots in 2023, when creators used AI tools to recreate a future Havana with yachts along the Malecón, eco-friendly trams, and restored colonial architecture. What has changed in 2026 is the political context that amplifies the emotional impact of these images.
The idea of a physical bridge between Cuba and Florida is not purely fictional. According to sources close to Trump's circle, there is a proposal contingent upon Cuba holding free elections: to build a bridge from the Florida Keys to the Cuban coast, symbolizing a comprehensive economic transformation that would include infrastructure reconstruction, energy, railways, and luxury tourism.
The distance between Key West and Havana is approximately 169 kilometers in a straight line, commonly known as "the 90 miles." Technically, the distance does not render the project impossible — the Hong Kong-Zhuhai Bridge measures 55 kilometers and serves as a benchmark for maritime infrastructure — although the challenges are immense: the Florida Strait reaches depths of up to 1,800 meters, with strong currents and frequent hurricanes.
The contrast between the Cuba imagined by AI and the real Cuba is precisely the emotional engine that makes these videos go viral. Havana in 2026 suffers from frequent collapses, massive blackouts that lead to nighttime protests in neighborhoods such as Nuevo Vedado, Marianao, and Miramar, and widespread shortages. In 2025, tourism fell to 1.8 million visitors, a 25% decrease from the previous year, with hotel occupancy at 21.5%, the lowest in the region.
Trump summarized his vision for the future of the island this week with a phrase that is widely circulated among Cubans: "What is happening in Cuba is incredible… we are going to fix it." The only available transcript of the video from the bridge, at the 15-second mark of the clip, captures in a single word what millions of Cubans feel in response to those images: "Long live!".
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