A Cuban residing in Italy who posts on TikTok under the name @prospera000 launched a direct and powerful message aimed at Italian men traveling to Cuba in search of women, and at the Cuban women who arrive in Italy through marriage or invitation letters.
The video, lasting one minute and fifty seconds, garnered over 16,600 views, 1,744 likes, 162 comments, and 65 shares in just two days. The author speaks from her personal experience and that of other compatriots she knows well.
"Every time I talk to a Cuban woman who arrives in Italy through an invitation letter or by marrying an Italian, I hear the same story," the TikToker states. She describes a recurring pattern: men who use immigration status as a tool for control and humiliation, constantly reminding them that "thanks to them, they are in Italy."
The creator dismantles the idea that these men "save" Cuban women from poverty. "Many of these men believe that in Cuba we live like animals, that we don’t have soap, that we don’t have clothes, that we don’t have education," she points out. And she responds firmly: "Yes, my country has been in a difficult situation for years, no one denies that. But that does not give anyone the right to treat us as if we were less."
His criticism also points to the reality of many of those men in their own country: "In Italy, there are also men living in misery, over 50 years old, unemployed, parasites, but with an enormous ego believing they own a woman's life." He warns that many seek foreign women "to feel powerful, to control, to humiliate, and to make them believe they are doing them a favor."
The TikToker is emphatic in defining this type of relationship: "If a man is three times older than you, controls you, humiliates you, and reminds you every day that thanks to him you are in Italy, that man is not your partner. That man is your jailer." This type of dynamic is not new: Cuban women have reported partner abuse using the immigration situation as a threat in various countries.
Her final call is directed at Cuban women who find themselves in that situation: "Don't be afraid to start from scratch, don't be afraid to work, don't be afraid to leave." She urges them not to sell themselves for a visa, not to stay out of fear, and not to let anyone make them feel inferior for being Cuban.
The phenomenon described has documented structural roots. Italy is the fifth most popular destination for Cuban emigrants, with approximately 41,448 registered Cubans by the end of 2018. According to statistics on marriages between Cuban women and Italians, 69.3% of that community are women, and the primary means of arrival has historically been marriage to Italian citizens. 35% of Cuban women marrying Italians were between the ages of 20 and 30, and 44% came from eastern provinces.
The video by @prospera000 is part of a growing trend of viral Cuban content on TikTok that criticizes abusive dynamics in relationships and encourages the empowerment of their compatriots. The final message encapsulates the spirit of the video: "An independent woman, my love, does not kneel before anyone."
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