A Cuban connected to the Miami community posted a TikTok video on Wednesday in which he argues that Cuba is "the best country in the world" because, unlike the United States, everything one acquires there is owned outright without additional financial obligations.
The creator, identified as @ariel.rojas0324, builds his argument on a direct comparison between the two systems: in Cuba, those who buy a house do not pay annual taxes on it; those who buy a car only spend on gasoline. In the United States, on the other hand, the mortgage is settled, but property taxes continue indefinitely, and car insurance is mandatory by law.
"In Cuba, you buy a bicycle and it’s yours, you buy a house and it’s yours, you buy a book and it’s yours, you buy a television and it’s yours, whatever you purchase is yours, you buy a car and it’s yours," he states in the one-minute and 24-second clip.
The author himself does not shy away from the contradictions in his thesis. At one point in the video, he admits bluntly: "In Cuba, only one thing happens: there is no food and there is no electricity, but in Cuba, everything is yours." The final phrase summarizes his view of the American economic system: "Here, nothing is yours, not even you are yours."
The video accumulated over 20,100 views, 548 reactions, and 338 comments, and was published under the hashtags #cubanosenmiami and #repartocubano, reflecting its circulation within the diaspora.
The debate that was sparked touches on a complex legal area. The Cuban Constitution of 2019 does recognize private property, although it is subject to limits based on social function and state interest, and prohibits private mortgages on land. The new Housing Law approved by the Cuban Parliament in 2026 updates the legislation from 1988, acknowledges the right to own up to two homes, and eliminates confiscation due to definitive departure from the country.
However, the argument of the TikToker overlooks a historical dimension that remains active: the Cuban regime confiscated private properties from the early years of the Revolution, and the U.S. maintains nearly 6,000 certified claims for those expropriated assets, with an estimated value exceeding 9 billion dollars. Last June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld lawsuits under Title III of the Helms-Burton Act against companies that benefited from those expropriations.
This type of content is not new in the Cuban TikTok community. Other videos from Cubans residing in the U.S. have generated tens of thousands of views with similar arguments, dividing the audience between those who appreciate the financial stability that the Cuban system can offer and those who point out the chronic food shortages, prolonged power outages, and restrictions on freedom as the everyday reality of the Island.
The debate has also been fueled by concrete experiences: Cubans in the U.S. buying their first house in Cubaare disregarding investment in properties on the Island
The description that the author chose to accompany the clip summarizes the intention of the message: "The truth, even if it hurts."
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