Arianna Medina Reyes, the content creator known on social media as Ari Vlogs, announced her departure from Cuba in an emotional video posted on Facebook. The young woman, originally from Mantua, the westernmost municipality in the province of Pinar del Río, embarked on the journey accompanied by her grandparents, brother, cousin, and father. Her husband, on the other hand, chose to stay on the island.
"He also had the opportunity to come. But not everyone has the same desires and plans, nor do we see life in the same way," Arianna explained in the video, asking her followers not to jump to conclusions or leave negative comments.
In my case, I made the decision to come, he made the decision to stay and we simply have to respect each person's decisions, he added.
The journey from Mantua to José Martí International Airport in Havana involved traveling approximately 280 kilometers by road. The group left home around six in the evening on November 4th and arrived at the airport at two in the morning the following day, with their flight scheduled for eight in the morning, which left them with several hours of waiting time.
I believe I had never crossed a bridge with as much happiness as that day. I was just a step away from boarding the plane and starting this new adventure," he confessed.
Arianna did not reveal the destination country in the video, promising to share it in a later post. "And the time has come to leave my land behind and start a new adventure. I leave with many memories, with my family, and above all, with a great deal of faith in God. May He guide every step of this new story. Goodbye. Goodbye," she added.
The departure of Ari Vlogs adds to that of other Cuban content creators who publicly documented their emigration during 2026, including Katy from "Aprendedora", who left for the Dominican Republic in March, and Lisa Garci, Mary Rosales Martínez, and Katherine Guevara, who did so in August.
The phenomenon reflects an ongoing exodus. Between 2021 and 2024, approximately 1.79 million Cubans left the island, and in 2024 alone, more than 250,000 people emigrated, leaving behind children, parents, and spouses.
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