Patricia Arias and Anthony Álvarez, a Cuban couple of 20 years, arrived in Uruguay in March with only 2,000 dollars to cover the expenses of four people, and their story of struggle and perseverance ended up on Uruguayan television after going viral on TikTok.
Both were high school classmates in Cuba. They began their relationship, lived together after four months, and by the fifth month, they decided to emigrate together, as reported by Teledoce in their Telemundo program. They traveled with Anthony's parents through Guyana and Brazil, crossing the border at Rivera before taking a bus to Montevideo.
"Everyone was scared to death during that journey; we didn't know anything and had heard terrible things about Guyana," Patricia recalled on her TikTok account.
Upon arrival, they ruled out Montevideo due to high prices and found a rental in Playa Pascual, a locality in the San José department, for 9,000 Uruguayan pesos per month. The first months were marked by extreme hardship: they slept on a mattress on the floor and gradually furnished the home, partly thanks to donations from followers on social media.
The most distressing thing, however, was the lack of employment. They submitted resumes in multiple places without receiving any response, took on temporary jobs that brought in about 2,000 pesos to buy food, and borrowed money from relatives in the United States.
"It’s a very difficult time because we were running out of money. And we could no longer afford food," Anthony recounted during the television interview.
Patricia was even more direct in one of her videos: "We have left our resumes everywhere. We have asked time and time again, and it’s always the same: 'We’ll call you,' 'we're not hiring right now,' 'just leave it and we'll see.'"
The turning point came when they posted a video on TikTok sharing their financial struggles. The post had an unexpected impact and allowed them to secure jobs at a supermarket in Playa Pascual, where they currently work under the joint profile JustinYPatry.
It was precisely this reach on social media that brought their story to television. The video from the Telemundo program on Facebook garnered nearly 80,000 views and over 1,600 reactions, making this couple a reference point for Cuban migration in Uruguay.
The story also has its painful side. Patricia traveled without her parents, who remain in Cuba, and the poor internet connection on the island complicates even video calls. "I miss them. Without them, I'm not complete," she said. "I detached when I came here, and I still feel it was too soon."
Anthony, on the other hand, traveled with his parents. They both agree that the decision to emigrate was not made lightly. "We love Cuba, its people, its culture, its landscapes, everything. But because of the government, we can't live there," he stated.
The couple has also responded to those who criticize the presence of Cubans in Uruguay. In a video that has accumulated over 66,000 views, they shared testimonies from Cubans about blackouts, food shortages, and lack of medicine, with a clear message: "Instead of thinking about why we came to Uruguay, think a little more about why we left Cuba."
His story is set against an unprecedented exodus: in 2025, over 22,000 Cubans entered Uruguay, resulting in a record net migration balance of nearly 15,000 individuals. On October 8, the Uruguayan government approved a decree for permanent residency based on ties for foreigners with pending or rejected asylum applications, a measure that could benefit thousands of Cubans.
Patricia, who is already imagining staying in Uruguay forever, sums it up with a smile: "If at some point in the future we decide to go to another country, I think I will always remember Uruguay. The truth is, I would stay here."
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