A video recorded in Varadero went viral, showing a hotel crowded with Cubans and a parking lot with over 200 private vehicles. According to the creator of the clip, this image sparked an intense debate on social media about who can currently afford vacations, hotels, and cars in Cuba.
The material was published on Facebook by Lucas Corrales, who claimed that the vehicles had been brought from the United States.
"There are more than two hundred private cars parked here. Two hundred cars, sir, private cars with private plates, that is, brought from the United States," he comments while surveying the area.
Corrales later confirmed in the comments that the images were recorded in Varadero.
The video also provides an idea of the number of guests at the facility. The Cuban talks about long lines for meals and an abundance that contrasts with the scarcity faced by a significant part of the population.
"The lines to eat are... There is pork, beef, fish. Many, many things," he recounts.
The images emerge in a summer where the Cuban government has intensified its efforts to attract the domestic market in light of the prolonged decline in international tourism.
The Ministry of Tourism has opened 22 facilities in Varadero for the domestic market during the summer season of 2026, with prices starting at $156.50 per night and daily passes that in some cases begin at $80.
Cars, hotels, and an increasingly unequal Cuba
In response to the numerous reactions sparked by the images, Corrales subsequently posted a second video specifically dedicated to touring the parking lot and showcasing the vehicles he was referring to in greater detail.
"Friends, as I promised you, all these cars you see here have arrived from the United States, the hotel guests, the privileged Cuban class. Look at that. There were many more yesterday," he expressed while walking among several rows of cars.
The Cuban insisted that almost everyone had a private license plate and pointed out some of the models he came across.
"Everyone has private plates. Two or three are for tours. Everything is private. Look, look at the number of private cars. Latest models. Kia, Hyundai, and so on. It's incredible," he commented.
The presence of numerous imported vehicles on the streets of Cuba has become increasingly noticeable in recent years.
Since January 2025, new regulations have come into effect that have relaxed the acquisition of vehicles by individuals through payments in foreign currency. By 2024, the export of vehicles from the United States to Cuba had reached million-dollar figures.
The phenomenon has generated scenes that were hard to imagine years ago on the island. In December 2025, a gathering of high-end vehicles with private plates in Camagüey also sparked numerous reactions on social media.
Now, images of Varadero have sparked divided opinions once again.
Some users defended the families who can afford those expenses and pointed out the impact of remittances and the work of emigrants. "They deserve it; they work hard in the U.S. to support their families and help those they left behind in Cuba," commented one person.
Others pointed out that a full parking lot and a crowded hotel do not reflect the economic conditions of most Cubans.
"A handful of cats among 11 million or more Cubans on the island... let's be consistent and analyze what Cuba is like today," replied another internet user.
There were also those who pointed out the paradox that numerous vehicles from the United States are driving around the island while the Cuban government continues to attribute a significant portion of the economic crisis to U.S. sanctions.
"That's how communism works in Cuba with help from family members abroad," a user sarcastically commented.
The debate coincides with an increasingly visible recognition of the economic disparities that have deepened in Cuban society. Recently, a professor from Las Tunas admitted that the economic reforms implemented in Cuba create class differentiation.
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