A young Cuban identified on TikTok as @yelenysberrabe shared yesterday the story of the odyssey she experienced to visit her 94-year-old grandfather in Sabanazo, a small rural locality in the municipality of Calixto García, in the province of Holguín, where the fuel and transportation crisis turned a family trip into a grueling journey.
In the video posted on TikTok, the young woman explains that since the day before, she tried to get transport without success: “not a single car passed us by, only cargo tricycles, mopeds, and bicycles.”
The TikToker summed up the situation with a phrase that captures the reality of millions of Cubans: "The issue of transportation has also become an odyssey in Cuba; there is no fuel, and therefore everything is at a standstill."
The destination of the trip was the farm where only her grandfather lives, an elderly man who, despite his advanced age, still plants peppers, cassava, and taro. "I'm amazed; at ninety-four years old, he still has the strength to plant," the young woman admitted with admiration.
The purpose of the visit was not only to see him: the family wanted to convince him to come live with them, as they believe he is no longer capable of living on his own. However, the grandfather has always refused with the same argument: "I have always lived alone."
The young woman brought him lunch and kept him company while he ate: "I brought your lunch nice and warm, and he immediately looked for his little bowl and spoon to eat it." However, at the end of the visit, she did not receive the response she was hoping for: "Believe me, I didn't leave very happy with his answer," she confessed, promising a second video to reveal the outcome.
The story encapsulates two crises that are simultaneously affecting Cuba. The first is the paralysis of transportation due to fuel shortages: the Minister of Energy admitted on May 14 that there was "absolutely nothing" in terms of diesel or fuel oil, and by December 2025, only 39% of the interprovincial bus fleet was operational.
The second is the crisis of population aging in Cuba: the country is the most aged in Latin America, with 25.7% of its population over 60 years old. Massive emigration — over 1.4 million Cubans have left since 2020 — has left many elderly individuals without supportive family networks.
It is estimated that 15% of older Cuban adults live alone and that 89% of those over 70 face a high risk of isolation. The collapse of the social assistance system exacerbates the situation: 99% of retirees claim that their pension does not meet basic needs.
Sabanazo, where the TikToker's grandfather lives, is a town with just 3,697 residents at the westernmost tip of Holguín, where the scarcity of transportation and fuel is particularly acute, as illustrated by this video that summarizes, in under two minutes, the daily struggles of many Cuban families.
The young woman promised a second video to share whether her grandfather finally agreed to leave his farm and move in with the family.
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