A Cuban resident in Miami posted a video on TikTok where he proudly showcases the progress of the house he is building in Havana, which he refers to as his "embassy," and he defends his decision to invest in the island against criticism from other Cuban emigrants.
The author, identified as @candysantos_01, recorded the property under construction and highlighted its features: "Look at how the embassy is coming along there in Havana: electric door, bridger-style window, up here, all we need now is the impact-resistant sliding door."
One of his central arguments is the economic advantage compared to housing in the United States: "Here, you don’t have to pay a mortgage or monthly payments or anything like that, as you do there," he pointed out, referring to the fact that in Cuba, there are no mortgages or monthly fees to deal with.
The creator clarified that he does not plan to return permanently to the island: "We will never go fully back to Cuba because we are already from here. You know how it is, here we already have properties, we have businesses." However, he believes that Cuba remains his homeland and that building there is preparing for the future.
In the video, he also addresses those who accuse him of supporting communism by investing in the island and defends the existence of an active private sector: "In Cuba, there’s everything right now: there’s beef, there’s anything you want to buy. I’m talking about the private sector, not the government."
His most direct message is aimed at those who criticize that perspective: "The fact that you want to create something in Cuba, that you want to do something, build your house, buy land, whatever you want to do, that is not supporting or favoring the government. That is creating a future."
The Cuban also warned those who do not invest that they will be at a disadvantage: "When the change comes, and it will come, they will have nothing; it will rise, and they will be left with empty hands."
The video adds to a viral trend among Cubans in the U.S. documenting on social media the construction or remodeling of homes on the island funded from abroad, a practice that sparks polarized debate within the emigrant community.
Other similar cases include that of @adianetttt, also from Miami, who on June 5 showed the progress of her house in Cuba with an investment that had already exceeded 60,000 dollars, after purchasing the property for 11,000 dollars in December 2025.
This trend occurs in the context of an unprecedented housing crisis in Cuba: the Ministry of Construction acknowledged before the National Assembly in July 2025 a deficit of 805,583 homes, and the State only completed 5,493 units throughout that year, which is equivalent to 22% of the annual plan.
In the video, @candysantos_01 also mentioned that "there is already a company in Miami authorized by the U.S. government that will send fuel to Cuba," referring to the case of Vanguard Energy, which generated controversy that same week: on June 10, the State Department denied that this company had a license for that operation, and the Cuban state company CUPET was sanctioned by Washington the following day.
The creator closed his message with a reflection on identity and belonging: "This one is not ours. That one belongs to us, okay. Regards, blessings."
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