A Cuban who publishes content on TikTok under the username @its_sandry_ went viral last week by explaining, with an irony that encapsulates the crisis the island is experiencing, why she considers herself a millionaire in Cuba: she was able to buy a gas cylinder for cooking.
"I am a millionaire living in Cuba, and now I'm going to explain why, and it's because I have gas for cooking," says the young woman, known as 'La vero', in the 49-second video, which garnered over 136,000 views and 13,500 "likes."
The cylinder, as he recounts, cost him 110 dollars, equivalent to about 77,000 Cuban pesos based on the informal exchange rate of 703 CUP per dollar recorded during those days, after the U.S. dollar surpassed the 700 pesos barrier for the first time.
What makes the testimony even more revealing is how he was able to pay for it: not with his salary, but thanks to the financial support from his followers on the platform. "I was able to get it thanks to the support of all of you here on TikTok because honestly, if I had been working and sacrificing all month on my salary, believe me, I wouldn’t have been able to buy it," he states.
The difficulty of paying for a basic product like gas is evident when comparing its price to the incomes of Cuban workers. Since July 2026, the minimum wage in Cuba is 3,210 pesos per month, while meeting basic needs can cost between 50,000 and 96,000 pesos per month, according to documented estimates.
The government set an official price of 350 pesos for a 10-kilogram gas cylinder in July 2026, but this price is far from the reality that many Cubans face due to the lack of availability in the state system. In the informal market, gas is sold for between 24 and 50 dollars on digital platforms, and it can reach up to 75,000 pesos in cities like Santiago de Cuba.
In August, another Cuban identified as 'Gely la Flaki' paid 99 dollars for a gas canister after more than 20 days without being able to cook, an incident that also sparked outrage on social media.
The gas shortage is worsening because electricity is not a reliable option either. Cuba has experienced at least eight nationwide blackouts in 2026, with prolonged power outages in some provinces, making gas an essential resource for cooking in many households.
«For this reason, many Cubans cook with firewood or charcoal, and others simply cannot cook at all,» says «La Vero» in the video. The 2025 National Food Security Survey from the Food Monitor Program revealed that 35% of respondents turned to firewood or charcoal due to the lack of electricity and liquefied gas, while 6% reported not eating at all.
The most direct complaint comes at the end of the clip: "It's very frustrating. I work, sir, and it's extremely frustrating to work and not even be able to afford the food for an entire month, just a gas cylinder, which is so, so important for Cubans nowadays, especially because you know that here in Cuba, well, they don't provide electricity."
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