A Cuban chef known on social media as Ale el Cubano reported that he was a victim of discrimination at a U-Haul location in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where, he claimed, an employee refused to rent him a truck he had previously reserved by phone. The Cuban attributed the rejection to the fact that he does not speak English.
The incident was reported in a video posted on Facebook from the page of their business, Cuban Pizza ALE y Rache. In the recording, Ale recounts what happened in front of the U-Haul branch located at 1193 North Academy Boulevard.
"We came to rent a U-Haul right now and they don’t want to rent to us because we are Cuban, because we don’t speak English," he expressed at the beginning of the video, visibly upset by the situation.
According to his account, he had made a telephone reservation, but when he arrived at the establishment, the employee refused to give him the vehicle.
In light of the refusal, Ale tried to have his wife, who is a U.S. citizen, handle the rental, but he stated that the worker did not accept that alternative either.
“I told him, 'I'm going to have my wife, who is an American citizen of this country, rent it for you,' but he still didn't want to rent it,” he recounted.
The chef, originally from Trinidad in the province of Sancti Spíritus, explained that he has been living in the United States for a decade and that during that time he has rented U-Haul vehicles numerous times without experiencing similar issues.
"In the ten years that I've been here, I've rented U-Haul and I've always done things the right way, as they should be done," he stated.
Ale felt that the treatment received was discriminatory and expressed his outrage at what had just happened.
“There is enormous racism in this country. Tremendous racism!”, he stated during the recording.
The Cuban also referenced the years of work and sacrifice that have allowed him to establish several businesses in the United States.
"I own three companies in this country, and since I arrived, I have made sacrifices," he affirmed.
He also pointed out that one of his establishments is located right next to the U-Haul branch where the incident occurred, making the situation particularly outrageous for him.
Upset by the experience, he asked his followers to share the video to raise awareness of his complaint. "Let this go viral so that people know what is happening in the United States," he expressed.
From Trinidad to Colorado: the story of Ale the Cuban
Ale and his wife, Rachel Rodríguez Oliva, also a native of Trinidad, are well-known among the Cuban community of Colorado for their business Cuban Pizza ALE y Rache, which was established in the summer of 2022.
The couple started with a food truck specializing in Cuban-style pizzas, which gained popularity for its thick and juicy pizzas and the slogan "If it's not like this, it doesn't work!"
Her story has also caught attention on social media due to the challenges they faced upon arriving in the United States and the achievements they have attained through their hard work.
In October 2024, the couple shared the purchase of their first home in Louisville, Colorado, for approximately $210,000, after several years of effort.
On this occasion, Ale specifically recalled his journey in the country to express his frustration regarding what he considers unfair treatment from the U-Haul employee.
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