The Cuban content creator Daily Ruiz, known on social media as Churri Ruiz (@dailyruiz8), became an unwitting star this week in one of the funniest stories from the Cuban diaspora on Instagram.
Daily lives in the United States. She explained that she was about to unpack her daughter's suitcase, which had been visiting Cuba, when she discovered it contained an unexpected passenger, a "guayabito," as the small mice are commonly referred to on the island.
He unzipped the suitcase to take out the dirty clothes and saw "a tiny thing moving." At first, he thought it was a makeup sponge, but when he shook the suitcase, the animal shot out toward the closet.
"I'm waiting for my husband to arrive because I'm not going to kill him. That guayabito traveled hidden, he took a risk passing through Cuban Customs and then here through U.S. Immigration. Who am I to take his life?" she declared, laughing and scared.
Daily's logic was immaculate in its own way: "That guayabito made a journey just like I did." His conclusion was decisive: "Now it's an American guayabito. I don't plan to exterminate it. It can stay living in the United States."
The video has garnered over 274,000 views. The Cuban community on social media quickly transformed the little rodent into a symbol of the emigrant.
“It's hard to believe that a guayabito left here before I did, gentleman,” wrote a Cuban user. Another commented, “Your daughter changed the life of a guayabito family,” and a third pointed out: “Even the guayabitos are leaving Cuba!.”
In a second video, Daily demonstrated that his story is true. The little guava escaped from his daughter's room and took shelter behind the refrigerator. When attempting to move the appliance to catch the mouse, he accidentally pushed the device against the wall, causing the little guava to be crushed.
"The poor man left Cuba and died, he passed away in the United States," he lamented with a mix of guilt and humor that brought laughter and even a few tears among his followers.
The comments on the second video were just as witty. "So much swimming to die on the shore; at least he got to know the yunai," someone wrote. Another pointed out, "He couldn't handle seeing so much food and had a heart attack."
Some users also warned Daily about a detail that had not been considered: introducing animals into the United States without declaring them can have legal or health consequences, depending on the species and current regulations. In this case, the incident was clearly accidental.
The story of the traveling guayabito adds to the long tradition of Cuban viral humor. The suitcases between the island and the United States are a common setting for tales that blend nostalgia, ingenuity, and the everyday realities of migration.
The comment that perhaps best summarized the entire episode was left by a follower with almost 100 likes: "That little guayaba made our dream come true, showed us that it is possible".
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