A video recorded on the Malecón in Havana has once again highlighted the ingenuity with which many Cubans face scarcity. In the footage, a fisherman demonstrates how he uses inflated condoms as floats to carry the hook out to sea, a resourceful technique that has amazed thousands of users on social media.
The video, posted on Facebook by content creator Camila Carballo, has accumulated nearly 260,000 views and over 10,000 reactions, along with hundreds of comments that mix admiration, humor, and concern for the struggles faced by the country.
The protagonist is a fisherman known in the area as "Javier the Timba" or "the Chino," whom several locals recognize as one of the most experienced fishermen along the Malecón in Havana.
"I am someone who, most of the times I come to fish, almost always catches a good fish. And the guys won't let me lie," he says before revealing the secret of his method: "We fish using a condom."
This is how the technique works
The system involves inflating several condoms, joining them to create an improvised buoy, and attaching them to a fishing line with a hook and bait.
When the wind blows from land to sea, the condoms act like a small sail that pulls the line hundreds of meters offshore, allowing the hook to be placed in areas where species such as snapper and cubera, inaccessible from the shore without a boat, can be caught.
"When he goes out there, I pull the line, it goes to the balloon and the meat stays at the bottom," explains Javier in the video.
Although this method was surprising to many users, it is not new. International media such as CBS News documented this practice back in 2016, when it first went viral. At that time, it was reported that inflated condoms could carry fishing lines up to 300 meters from the shore.
Several fishermen also mentioned that they have been using this technique for decades. One of them claimed to have fished in this way more than 40 years ago in front of the restaurant 1830, in Vedado.
A paradox in the midst of scarcity
What has particularly caught attention this time is that the video is circulating at a moment when condoms have practically disappeared from state pharmacies in Cuba.
During this month, independent media reported on the shortage of condoms in much of the country, forcing many Cubans to turn to the informal market, where a single unit can exceed 100 Cuban pesos.
The contradiction did not go unnoticed among internet users.
"You won't be able to fish anymore because there are no condoms left," commented a user.
Another one joked, "Bro, with how expensive condoms are, you might as well buy yourself a drone."
The shortage of condoms in Cuba is not a recent problem. For years, organizations and specialized media have been warning about the shortage, a situation that experts have linked to increased risks of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
Beyond the jokes, most reactions highlighted the ability of Cubans to find creative solutions in the face of everyday challenges.
"The Cuban drone," summarized a user in one of the most shared comments.
Another wrote: "The creativity of Cubans is unparalleled in the world. That’s why we survive in any circumstances; we know what it means to hit rock bottom."
Fishing from the Malecón has been a part of the Havana landscape for over a century. For some, it remains a tradition and a gathering space; for others, amid the economic crisis the country is facing, it has become a way to put food on the table.
However, some users also questioned the environmental impact of the practice, noting that the used condoms as floats can end up in the ocean. One commentator even reminded that in Puerto Rico, this technique is prohibited precisely because of the waste it leaves in the marine ecosystem.
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