A content creator residing in Cienfuegos received her first 100 dollars from monetization on Facebook and decided to share it with her mother to go shopping together on the city's boulevard. What they found upon arriving at the dollar stores on the Cienfuegos boulevard turned the celebration into frustration.
The young woman, known on TikTok as MCarly (@mcarly51), posted a video last Saturday in which she documented the experience. "I received my first payment from Facebook, which was a hundred dollars, and I gave part of it to my mom because she works with me on all of this social media stuff," she explained at the beginning of the clip.
Upon entering the establishment, the first thing they encountered was total darkness. "When we entered the store, the first thing was that there was no light, a tremendous darkness, and even though you make purchases in dollars, there’s no comfort," recounted MCarly, describing a blackout that even affected this business that operates exclusively in foreign currency.
The product selection was no better than the lighting. The only thing the creator felt was "worth it" was oil, and they had to wait in line to get it.
His father accompanied them during the outing, although it was an unusual presence in that type of store. "He has very rarely entered these stores since they started accepting dollars because, well, we had no way to receive dollars," MCarly said, summarizing in a single sentence the exclusion that most Cubans experience in the face of the dollarized economy advancing on the island.
Later, they went with a cousin to look for other things they needed and ended up having a snack on the boulevard. MCarly’s final assessment was blunt: “And instead of feeling happy, I left feeling sad and very upset.”
The video illustrates a very present paradox in today's Cuba: a generation of creators who manage to earn income in dollars through global digital platforms, but when they try to spend that money on the island, they face power outages, shortages, and long lines for basic products. Cuba is not among the eligible countries for direct monetization through Meta, so many creators turn to intermediaries abroad to receive their payments. The 100 dollars that MCarly received exactly matches the minimum payment threshold for bank transfers set by Meta for its content monetization program.
By May 2025, at least 85 stores operating exclusively in dollars were in operation across the country, including at least four in Cienfuegos. This system excludes those who earn in Cuban pesos, creating a two-tiered economy where access to certain products depends on receiving remittances or income in foreign currency.
The video from MCarly reflects a trend where Cubans document their first payments from digital platforms. A young man used his to improve his mother's kitchen with appliances, while another creator known as @keki_mami received her first paycheck from TikTok and used it to buy herself a refrigerator. In all cases, the common thread is prioritizing family and basic needs—although the reality of commerce on the island often hinders even that intention.
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