A Cuban resident in the United States named Gabriel Alcántara posted a video on Facebook that has garnered over 361,000 views with a straightforward and powerful message: anyone who has the chance to leave Cuba should do so without thinking twice.
Alcántara speaks from personal experience. He left the Island on a raft in 1994, during the mass exodus of rafters, and has been living in Miami with his family for over three decades.
"If you are in Cuba right now, if you have the chance to get out of there, just leave. That's the only race that matters in Cuba: getting out of there," he says.
His message dismisses any hope of recovery in the short or medium term, regardless of any political changes that may occur.
"Forget that things are going to improve someday, that Trump is going to come in, that Trump is going to leave, forget all of that. Even if Trump were to enter today as the constitutional president of Cuba, it would take years and years to recover. That country, it's in total ruins," he states.
To support his argument, Alcántara lists the structural deficiencies of Cuba: "There is no infrastructure, there is no sewage system, there are no roads, there are no functioning water pipes, there is no operational thermoelectric plant."
The man also warns about the insecurity faced by those who have properties and businesses under the regime: "Whenever the government feels like it, they can just take it away from you. The only business, the only path that exists in Cuba is called getting the hell out of there."
His recommendation is to sell anything - a bicycle, a pig, a cell phone - to afford the trip, and he mentions the route to Suriname and then Brazil as the most accessible at this time. "You will never be a person living in Cuba," he concludes.
His statement aligns with a growing migration trend. In 2025, Brazil received 41,919 asylum applications from Cubans, marking an 88.1 % increase compared to the previous year, and for the first time, Cubans surpassed Venezuelans as the largest nationality applying for asylum in that country. Between January and April of 2026, there were already 13,414 new applications recorded.
The comments on the video reflect the impact of the message. A woman from Camagüey who emigrated to Brazil wrote: "I clean floors with my head held high in a hospital because the salary is higher than working in the market. I live as a person without stress, not chasing after food or electricity. In Cuba, I had a house, but no life."
A man who left through Mariel in 1980 was more emphatic: "That will never be a normal country again. The damage caused, particularly the anthropological damage, exceeds any possibility of repair."
Another user pointed out that we must first change the mentality of a corrupt society that wants money without work and sacrifices. "Wherever they go, they end up stealing and believing they are clever with those who give them jobs. The first rule is to correct these societal flaws before moving on to build the country."
"The Cuban has no other options, no matter where it is. Do not be afraid of change, as nothing could be worse than this," urged an emigrant.
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