A couple of Cubans living in the United States posted a video on TikTok in which they announce they are traveling to Cuba without having settled their financial obligations in the northern country, including rent, car payments, and insurance.
We haven't paid rent or insurance. But where are we going, mom? To Cuba. To Cuba," says one of them in the clip, posted by the user @uncubaton in a festive and carefree tone.
The video has sparked mixed reactions within the Cuban community, as the couple not only announces their return to the island but does so after having ceased to fulfill contractual obligations in the U.S., which some interpret as an irresponsible abandonment and others as an expression of frustration in response to financial pressure.
The case adds to a documented trend on social media during 2025 and 2026: Cubans residing in the U.S. who voluntarily return to the island, citing exhaustion due to the high cost of living, the burden of bills, and loneliness.
In March 2026, a Cuban identified as @beautybyjuani announced on Instagram her return to Cuba tired of paying bills, which garnered 53,000 views.
Migdi Pérez returned to Cuba from Miami in February 2026 after 12 years of residency in the U.S., and Lisandra Acevedo Évora had done the same in April 2025, citing job instability and loneliness.
These voluntary returns are a minority within the Cuban migration landscape, but they are very visible on digital platforms and contrast sharply with the harsh reality faced by hundreds of thousands of Cubans in the U.S.
More than 500,000 Cubans find themselves in an uncertain migratory situation following the cancellation of the humanitarian parole and the closure of the CBP One program by the Trump administration, a crisis that has separated over 400,000 Cuban families.
Meanwhile, deportations have resumed: on February 9, 2026, the first deportation flight of the year with 170 Cubans was recorded, sent back to the island.
In this context, the video by @uncubaton stands out for its celebratory tone regarding a journey that involves leaving behind unpaid debts, at a time when many Cubans in the U.S. face uncertainty about their immigration status and their future in the country.
Since September 2025, flights between the U.S. and Cuba have decreased by 20%, and a fuel crisis on the island during February and March of 2026 limited air operations to a single daily commercial flight.
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