The Cuban actor Roberto San Martín posted a video on Instagram this Thursday in which he shows the long line formed to enter a new ALDI supermarket that opened that day in his area, and he confessed that the image brought back one of the traumas he carried with him when leaving Cuba.
"I went to the new market that opened today in my town and relived one of the traumas I brought from my country," wrote the content creator while sharing the clip on that social media platform.
In the video, San Martín walks along the line of customers that bends around the corner and seems never-ending, while commenting out loud: "Look at the line. This opens at 9 in the morning. Look at the line." The scene, far from being dramatic, has a humorous tone: the actor points out that they were even handing out donuts to those waiting and exclaims, "Look, they give you donuts in line and everything. This is wonderful."
The background, however, is profoundly serious for any Cuban emigrant. In Cuba, the never-ending lines are a daily constant for accessing food, medicine, and basic goods in state stores, a result of decades of chronic shortages, rationing, and an economic crisis exacerbated by the communist system.
For those who left the island, seeing a long line—even if it’s for the opening of a European discount supermarket—immediately triggers that painful memory.
The video of San Martín adds to a documented trend in recent years: Cubans abroad reacting with emotion or disbelief at the abundance of products in supermarkets in Mexico, the United States, Spain, or any other country. The structural scarcity imposed by the dictatorship makes every full shelf a reminder of the stark contrast between life inside and outside the island.
The ALDI featured in the video is part of the aggressive expansion of the German chain in various parts of the world, including the United States.
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