The Estaciones Fashion Company in the province of Guantánamo organized a public event, featuring an improvised runway in front of a dilapidated colonial building, and the video sparked mixed reactions on social media.
The images, shared by the Facebook page «San Nicolás de Bari - No + Comunismo», depict a wooden walkway with a burgundy cloth stretched from the building's door—featuring the number 855 on the facade, peeling paint, and visible electrical wires—down to the sidewalk, serving as a red carpet.
The video, just 20 seconds long, garnered over 5,600 views and was shared multiple times. It sparked comments that ranged from irony and humor to compassion.
"Don't laugh. That's how Giorgio Armani started, in the same setting," wrote a user.
Another person suggested, "How can we help them by sending a new red carpet? Find out what their contact is."
A third reaction encapsulated the tone of empathy found in several comments: "Oh my God! The poor."
The event's setting is not unfamiliar with the reality of Guantánamo, one of the most impoverished provinces in Cuba, where cases of children with chronic malnutrition without institutional support have been documented, and families live in conditions of extreme hardship.
The average state salary in Cuba is around 6,649 Cuban pesos per month, equivalent to about 16 dollars, while the basic basket per person exceeds 50,000 CUP, according to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information.
In that context, acquiring new clothes is a luxury beyond the reach of most.
The fashion industry in Cuba exists in a marginal way, mainly concentrated in Havana. In the eastern provinces, there is neither infrastructure nor a market for events of this nature, making the initiative in Guantánamo an expression of both the local creative drive and the extreme material limitations it operates under.
The video fits a recurring pattern on social media: images of Cuba that simultaneously evoke disbelief, dark humor, and compassion in light of the contrast between initiatives striving for cultural normalcy and a visibly deteriorating environment.
Cuba is experiencing its third consecutive year of economic recession, with an estimated GDP contraction of 5% year-on-year by the end of 2025, power outages lasting more than 20 hours a day, and an exodus of over a million people since 2021.
The existence of a fashion company in Guantánamo, with minimal resources and an improvised setting, is, for many observers, a true reflection of the country's state.
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