A Mexican tourist identified as Norma Estrada posted a video on Facebook documenting her journey through Havana accompanied by a Cuban tour guide, on a bus from the Ministry of Tourism (Mintur).
The tour guide spoke freely with her clients, but she didn't realize she was being recorded. She confessed to the group of Mexican travelers that "Cubans want change," and now her statements are on social media.
The tour took place in the municipality of Playa, specifically through the Miramar neighborhood and Fifth Avenue. This is an area known for its well-preserved mansions, diplomatic residences, embassies, and luxury hotels. The group also visited the Havana Forest.
What the Mexican tourists saw has nothing to do with the daily reality of the average Cuban. Miramar and Fifth Avenue are a hub of foreign currency, completely distanced from popular neighborhoods like Centro Habana, Cerro, or Diez de Octubre, where food shortages, prolonged blackouts, and urban decay are the norm.
“There are people who say, ‘Let Trump come,’ but what we want is change. A change that improves the quality of life, because we only have one life. How long are we supposed to keep sacrificing ourselves? The least a human being needs is food, medicine, and the essentials for life. But we have been living like this for years, without seeing any improvement in sight,” said the Mintur employee.
"They ask for sacrifices, but how many years are we going to continue living without electricity? The lack of power means there's no water, and you go to a hospital and they can't attend to you. It's not a matter of six months; there's no sign of improvement. People are tired," he added.
The statements made by the tour guide in Havana are particularly striking given the context of political repression on the island. Workers in the state tourism sector are under close scrutiny from the regime, and expressing critical opinions can lead to employment repercussions and even legal consequences.
Regarding the repression and silence experienced by Cubans, the tour guide made a comment.
“There is a lot of hatred between Cubans who are abroad and those who are here. You see it in social media and try not to comment on anything because you never come out right with anyone. There’s always someone who will attack you,” he expressed.
“Many people think that when Trump comes everything will change, that everything will be fixed quickly, that there will be jobs and people will earn in dollars. But that’s just like the tale of the wolf: everyone waits for it, and it never arrives. In the end, governments come to an agreement, and almost never does the people benefit,” lamented the Cuban.
The Mexican tourist titled the video with a phrase that reflects the depth of the journey: "I hope I don't bore you with so much history about Havana, Cuba."
The trip of the Mexican tourist to Cuba coincides with one of the worst economic crises the island has faced in decades. In Havana, there are only three active gas stations, with waiting lists of between 7,000 and 15,000 vehicles per station, and gasoline on the black market reaches 4,000 Cuban pesos per liter, equivalent to about eight dollars.
The average state salary in Cuba is just 6,830 pesos per month, while the minimum cost of living exceeds 50,000 pesos per month. At the informal exchange rate, which hovers around 523 pesos per dollar, a Cuban worker earns the equivalent of about five dollars a month and a doctor earns just thirty.
Regarding inflation in Cuba, the tourist guide also made some comments for visitors.
"Things do exist, but the prices are very high. Not everyone can afford them. A simple lipstick can cost up to 800 pesos. Food prices are constantly rising. Today you buy something, and the day after tomorrow it costs much more. Everything is extremely expensive, and money is not enough."
In another video posted on Monday, Norma Estrada recorded the Malecón of Havana completely empty and described it as "desert-like": "there are no cars or tourists", she noted. That video exceeded 150,000 views.
The Mexican tourist herself acknowledged the difference between the two countries: "We live very well in Mexico compared to Cuba," she stated. And a Cuban who commented on one of her videos summed it up bluntly: "You have to scratch and claw to get a plate of food in Havana."
Cuba received only 1.81 million tourists in 2025, a decrease of 17.8% from the 2.2 million in 2024, far from the official target of 2.6 million, a drop that reflects the collapse of the tourism model on which the regime relied as an economic lifeline.
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