A Cuban woman demonstrated how she manages to make a living on the island without receiving remittances from abroad, thanks to a small snack bar where she sells the food she can obtain. Her testimony reflects the daily effort required to sustain her own business amid the blackouts and economic challenges of the country.
"How do I survive in Cuba? Many people ask me how I manage to survive in Cuba, considering that I don't have any family in the United States sending me anything," the woman explains in a video shared on TikTok.
The answer lies in his venture: "This is my business, a snack bar where I sell everything I can find that can be sold, as long as it's edible."
In the recording published at the beginning of October, the Cuban woman showcases part of her routine, which includes going out to source merchandise, organizing products, and attending to customers. She also has to deal with frequent power outages, which make it difficult to preserve food.
"My afternoon was spent going out to find things, and then I came back to fix the fridge, which needed cleaning because you know, with these power outages, it starts to defrost."
As she cleans and organizes the store, she continues to serve those who come to shop, because, as she herself insists, "the business cannot stop."
His experience reflects the challenges faced by many Cubans in meeting their basic needs. According to a survey conducted between February and March 2026, 86.6% of participants reported that they had to engage in some informal activity to avoid going hungry, while 64.2% had not received any financial assistance from abroad in the previous month.
Power outages present another challenge for small food businesses. The lack of electricity can lead to losses of goods, as happened with a bakery in Havana that lost production worth 15,000 Cuban pesos due to a power cut.
Despite the challenges, the protagonist affirms that her snack bar allows her to sustain herself financially without relying on money sent from abroad.
"Thanks to that business, I am able to support myself and maintain a somewhat acceptable standard of living while living in Cuba," he concludes.
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