A Cuban woman experienced one of the most terrifying moments of her life when the truck driver she was traveling with began to race against another vehicle and attempted to overtake it while a cyclist was coming from the opposite direction. The young woman, known on TikTok as @guajirita.cubana, recounted the incident in a video that surpassed 21,000 views within just a few hours.
According to her testimony, the group left early in a car to the terminal in Santiago de Cuba, where they boarded a yellow truck "heading to Bayamo." Shortly after setting off, the driver started racing with another vehicle. "The driver began to compete with another car; that man forgot that he was carrying people," the young woman recounted.
The most critical moment came as they approached Contramaestre when the driver tried to overtake another vehicle, unaware that a cyclist was coming straight toward them. "That man veered so suddenly that it nearly flipped the car over." The scare was immense for everyone on board.
"The worst thing one can feel is that you are going to die," described the author of the video, who confessed to having cried uncontrollably. "I cried so much, oh my, I still have the image of that moment; it was a desperation I can't explain," she wrote in the post's description.
In light of the situation, she and other passengers decided to get off the truck in Contramaestre and not continue the journey with that driver. "We got off because I wasn't going to continue with that irresponsible person," she stated.
"I have always been afraid in the Santiago cars because they drive at an abnormal speed, and this time was no exception," he said, questioning the economic motivation behind the recklessness: "The drivers, in order to earn an extra 4 pesos, don't care about anything, and in the end, when accidents happen, the money they've earned won't even be enough to cover the damages."
On September 8th, Cuba celebrated the Day of the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre, a central date for pilgrimage to the Santuario del Cobre, a day when the influx of pilgrims from Santiago de Cuba is particularly intense, and transportation in adapted trucks becomes the only option for many.
What happened is not an isolated incident. In January of this year, a passenger truck accident was reported on the highway of Santiago de Cuba, specifically on the stretch towards Contramaestre.
"You must understand that you are carrying passengers; it is not fair that because of your negligence, lives are put at risk," concluded @guajirita.cubana, with a phrase that encapsulates the desperation of thousands of Cubans who are forced to gamble with their lives every day while using transportation.
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