A 17-year-old Cuban, who publishes under the name @emanublogger on Instagram, documented how he spent 100 dollars sent by a follower to celebrate his birthday in Cuba, in a video that became an unintentional portrait of the economic crisis the island is experiencing.
"I live in Cuba and today is my birthday. A follower sent me 100 dollars to celebrate, so I'm going to see how far this money can go," Emanuel says at the beginning of the video.
The shopping trip began with the search for new clothes. Emanuel and his mother visited several stores and found that the prices were, in their own words, "through the roof." In the end, he bought two outfits: a black shorts and pullover set, and a branded pair of shorts along with an NBA shirt. "The total for both outfits came to exactly 40,000 pesos," he noted in the video.
The following stops included a party supply store —number 17, birthday band, balloons, and a candle that looked like fireworks— for 3,200 pesos; an ice cream shop where he bought a tub of ice cream for 9,000 pesos, "not cheap, but well, what can we do?" he commented; and 16 malts at 550 pesos each, totaling 8,800 pesos. The cake, decorated with his name, cost 7,500 pesos. His father also arrived with a second surprise cake that had not been planned.
"Overall, 68,500 Cuban pesos were spent. We only had about 500 pesos left from the 100 dollars, but well, it was a great time," Emanuel summarized at the end of the video.
Reactions to the video ranged from celebrating the young man's birthday to outrage over the prices. "My God, those prices are appalling," wrote one follower. Another remarked, "I know it's tough there in Cuba, but you have to keep pushing forward. You’re a great guy."
Not all the comments were supportive. “Why celebrate if the country is in such a bad state? You might as well save on those decorative accessories. But happy birthday,” wrote one user. And another bitterly concluded, “The worst part is that there’s no way out of this. We’ll live like this for the rest of our lives.”
The amount spent on purchases takes on significance when contrasted with the salary reality of the island. As of September 16, the dollar was being traded at 699 Cuban pesos in the informal market, meaning that 100 USD is equivalent to around 69,900 pesos — approximately ten times the official average monthly salary, which hovers around 7,000 pesos, less than 13 dollars at the informal exchange rate.
The prices of clothing in Cuba are exorbitant for most people: a pair of pants can reach up to 34,000 pesos, and fashionable outfits exceed 20,000 pesos, amounts that represent several monthly salaries for a state worker.
Emanuel joins a growing trend of Cuban creators who document their economic reality from the island and build international audiences with videos that daily and concretely expose the gap between actual prices and the purchasing power of Cubans.
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