A Cuban woman who claims to live in a rural area of the island posted a video on TikTok in which she asserts that she has transformed her economy thanks to the Amazon Influencer Program and Amazon Associates, sparking a wave of reactions ranging from admiration to outright laughter.
"I live in Cuba in a rural area, and it's no secret that Amazon has changed my life, that what I never thought I could earn in this field, I'm now making in commissions," the young woman stated in the clip, in which she also mentioned that Amazon is the support for her family.
"Living in Cuba is not an obstacle for you to also work at Amazon", he added.
The problem is that Cuba is officially excluded from both programs. According to the terms and conditions of the platform, the island is not listed among the eligible countries to participate, which raises questions about how it manages to operate from the island without external support. This did not stop many users from asking how to replicate its alleged success, while others pointed out the contradiction directly.
"I have not said that Amazon sends me funds to Cuba. It sends them to my sister in the United States, and then my sister sends them to me; obviously, I do pay for that transfer.", she clarified in the comments, suggesting that her model relies heavily on support from abroad.
The situation is reminiscent of other documented cases where Cuban creators have found alternative ways to monetize digital content. For example, it has been reported that some individuals have received payments of 148 and 236 dollars from TikTok, although typically with the support of accounts registered outside of Cuba or with assistance from relatives abroad.
The economic context in which this story takes place is crucial. Connectivity in Cuba is expensive, limited, and increasingly dollarized: ETECSA has dollarized the extra data packages, making it even more difficult for most rural Cubans to maintain a consistent and profitable digital activity.
Despite doubts about the veracity of the account, the video sparked a genuine debate about the real possibilities of generating income online from Cuba. This is not the first time such a story has circulated: other Cubans have financed improvements to their homes thanks to digital income, although almost always with the support of transnational family networks or accounts enabled from abroad.
Amid the controversy, the case brings to light a complex reality: although there are alternative ways to generate income from Cuba with support from abroad, technological and legal limitations continue to make a difference. Stories like this, straddling the line between inspiration and skepticism, fuel the debate about how feasible it truly is to "live off the internet" from the island without relying on third parties outside the country.
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