Thalia Mazola, a Cuban content creator residing in Spain, has captured the attention of thousands of users on TikTok after posting a video distributing snacks at night to homeless people on the streets of Seville, in a gesture of solidarity that sparked a wide debate on social media.
The clip, published on February 13, lasts just 18 seconds and shows a woman in a beige coat leaning towards an elderly person sitting on the ground in front of a storefront, surrounded by bags and belongings. The scene takes place at night, over a pavement of hexagonal cobblestones typical of the streets in the Andalusian city center.
Regarding the images, Mazola overlaid the text "I was told not to record this," a phrase that foreshadows the debate she herself initiated at the bottom of the video with a direct question to her audience: "What do you think?" The post garnered 12,900 views, 1,237 likes, and 332 comments, reflecting the interest it generated among her followers.
The TikToker carefully selected the hashtags to accompany the video: #Help, #Solidarity, #RealHelp, #Humanity, and notably, #ItIsNotJustForShow. This last tag is a direct response to the skepticism that exists in Spain towards those who record and publish charitable acts on social media, a controversy that reached its peak following the DANA in Valencia in November 2024.
At that moment, several content creators who came to assist those affected and recorded their efforts received praise for coordinating donations while also facing criticism for turning others' suffering into material for their channels. The debate over where the line lies between legitimate visibility and spectacle remains a prominent topic in Spanish public discourse.
Mazola, known on TikTok for documenting the daily lives of Cuban immigrants in Spain and addressing issues of empathy and cultural differences, is part of a broader trend within the Cuban diaspora in the country. A Cuban in Spain who denounces the loss of empathy among emigrants precisely reflects the tension that such gestures aim to counteract.
This individual initiative contrasts with the situation faced by homeless people in Cuba, where the lack of public policies forces activists to compensate for the state's neglect. In February of this year, Lara Crofs and Daniela Peral distributed coats and food to homeless individuals in Havana.
Weeks later, the activist Noly Blak donated 65,000 pesos to the homeless, the elderly, and the disabled in Holguín, publicly denouncing the economic crisis and the lack of institutional response.
The video by Thalia Mazola reminds us that solidarity knows no borders, and that many Cubans abroad carry with them the habit of lending a helping hand, even when someone asks them not to record it.
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