A video published this Friday on Instagram became one of the most emotional portrayals of Cuban childhood: content creator Yeison López (@hermandadtmph) offered several children the choice between a Cartier watch valued at between 8,400 and 9,000 euros or some candies, and all the children chose the sweets without hesitation.
Yeison, known among his more than 800,000 followers on Instagram for documenting the lives of Cuban rural families and workers, approached the children on the street and presented them with the dilemma, clock in hand.
None hesitated: candies. "No one kept the watch," summarized the creator himself in the video, which in just a few minutes garnered over 9,100 "likes" and 169 comments.
In the description of the post, Yeison offered his own interpretation of what happened: "They chose based on size; if you think about it deeply, it was a wise decision. Why carry a watch that doesn't work if you can enjoy some candies instead?"
The watch, he explained in the comments, was obtained during his time as a model: “I got it for a job I did with Cartier when I was modeling, but it usually costs between 8,400 and 9,000 euros.”
The audience's reaction was immediate and largely emotional. Many users pointed out that the choice of children is not arbitrary, but rather a direct reflection of a reality: in Cuba, sweets are a scarce and precious item, often brought from abroad by relatives.
"Children did not choose the price; they chose the illusion, the joy of something as simple as candies. Because when you grow up with so many lacks, the little details become great treasures," wrote one of the commentators.
Another user summed it up humorously: "Candy: 1. Cartier: 0." "A Cartier isn't worth the smiles of those children. Seeing these things gives me hope," wrote an internet user.
The scarcity underlying the video has specific figures: according to data from the World Food Programme for 2026, more than 48.5% of Cuban schoolchildren aged six to eleven were not receiving food or snacks at school. UNICEF reported that the same year, 9% of children under five were suffering from severe nutritional deprivation.
This video is part of a journey that has made Yeison López a unique figure in Cuban digital content.
In July, Dainer's story, a 12-year-old boy who was pruning palm trees over 20 meters tall barefoot in Bahía Honda, Artemisa, garnered over 450,000 views and resulted in the donation of a bicycle, tennis shoes, and financial assistance for his family.
In September, the story of Miguel, a boy who sold candy on a beach to avoid asking his mother for money, generated thousands of reactions.
His followers call him "the Cuban MrBeast," and in the comments of his latest video, several people agreed that his content is "the healthiest there is in Cuba right now as a content creator."
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