A Cuban resident in the United States showcased on TikTok everything she bought at Costco to take to Cuba during her trip: cream cheese, salami, hams, prosciutto, mozzarella, chicken salad, and purees, in what she described as a radical change compared to her previous trips.
Day, identified on TikTok as @daymetsuarez0, posted a 57-second video last Sunday in which she explains her new strategy: "I always used to come with suitcases full of clothes and things to give away. This time I said I'm not going to bring any of that, I'm only going to bring food."
The creator explains that the decision is driven by a clear purpose: to nourish those around her well during their stay on the island.
"Things for me to eat, to enjoy during the time I'm going to be here, and my family and all the loved ones who come, so that I can offer them delicious things they've never tried," he explains in the video.
Among the products displayed are a giant cream cheese from Costco, salamis, vacuum-packed hams, a chicken salad with raisins, prosciutto, and a large mozzarella cheese, also from Costco.
For the glass jar purées, Day opted for a practical solution: "I'm going to send the purées by package. So they don't break because they are made of glass."
The rest of the products, all vacuum-sealed, he brought directly in the suitcase: "This is vacuum-sealed. They can bring this without any issues."
The current Cuban customs regulations allow the entry of food in accompanied baggage duty-free and with no quantity limits, as long as it is kept separate from the rest of the luggage, which facilitates this type of transport.
The video of Day is not an isolated case. The practice of Cuban women showcasing their Costco purchases to take to Cuba has become common on social media, especially among the diaspora based in Miami.
In June 2025, another Cuban in the U.S. was preparing meat, bacon, and croquettes to send to her family on the island, citing shortages as the main reason.
The trend reflects a food crisis that will reach critical levels in Cuba by 2026.
According to data from the Food Monitoring Program for this month, 96.91% of the Cuban population lacks adequate access to food due to inflation and a decline in purchasing power.
33.9% of households reported that a member went to bed hungry in the last 30 days, compared to the 24.6% recorded in 2024.
Furthermore, 80.4% of families are impacted in their ability to cook due to prolonged power outages.
The World Food Programme estimates that Cuba imports between 70% and 80% of the food it consumes, while national agricultural production has collapsed: between 2018 and 2023, pork production fell by 95%, rice by 87%, beans by 70%, and milk by 58%.
In light of the Cuban state's failure to ensure basic supplies, the diaspora has become an informal network for providing for their families, turning suitcases into pantries and Costco into the most popular supermarket for those traveling to the island.
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