A young Cuban, known as @gelylaflaki, criticized Pablo Iglesias' statements about Cuba on TikTok and questioned the perspective from which the country's situation is being evaluated, particularly from privileged environments.
The video starts with a comment left on his post, where a user referred to the words of the Spanish politician regarding the situation on the island after his visit to Havana, where he stated that “it is certainly difficult, but not as it is being presented from the outside.”
In her speech, the young woman contrasts that perspective with the daily reality of Cubans. "Cuba would be great for me too if I had that luck, if you could travel here, stay in hotels, in the best five-star luxury hotels, of course, my life, then you would see Cuba as a good place," she asserts.
Throughout the video, she mentions problems that affect the population in various areas of the country. "I am sure it didn't even go through Matanzas, where the power is cut off, and it's only on for two hours a day," she notes. She also refers to the accumulation of garbage in Havana, the shortage of food, and the situation in hospitals: "there isn't even a Duralgin to inject you if you're in pain."
The creator insists that perception changes outside of tourist circuits and concludes with a direct call: “Let them walk, let them walk, let them walk and go through all these places I just mentioned; after they visit and experience them, then they can leave a comment to see if Cuba is good or bad.”
The video has generated numerous reactions, mostly in support. Among the comments, several users agreed that it's easy to give opinions from the outside and that "the hard part is being there." Others pointed out that even from hotels, the difficulties of the country can be perceived.
Iglesias' statements were made during his visit to Cuba, where he met with authorities from the Communist Party, in a context that has sparked reactions from Cubans both on and off the island. Among them, journalist Luz Escobar stated on Spanish television that the politician “will not recognize real Cuba” and accused him of acting as “propaganda for the Castro regime.”
Meanwhile, other voices have also questioned those statements. Journalist Náyare Menoyo publicly challenged him to live in Cuba without privileges: “I only ask that you don’t bring euros or food, but live with what they will provide you there.”
Criticism arises in a context marked by power outages, food shortages, lack of medications, and the deterioration of basic services in Cuba, a situation that has also been reflected in citizens' reactions questioning these positions.
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