Elliot El Guiri, a content creator from the United States now residing in Málaga, Spain, has gained significant attention this year with his viral video series exploring Cuba. His message is clear: communism, not the U.S. embargo, is to blame for the country's downfall.
One of the most striking videos in the series has garnered over 14,500 views, 916 likes, and 353 comments on Facebook. In this video, Elliot highlights the dire conditions faced by Cuban farmers, who live in dilapidated homes, cook with charcoal, and subsist almost entirely on sugarcane, while large swathes of land remain state-owned.
"Communism destroys everything it touches," Elliot asserts in the video. "This is what Fidel Castro fought to achieve: making people poor."
Originally from Wisconsin and known online as @el.guiri.de.malaga or Adventurer Elliot, he ventured through parts of eastern Cuba that rarely see foreign tourists, especially amid the island's ongoing fuel crisis.
During his journey, he made a stop in Baracoa, the second-oldest city in the Americas, visiting during a blackout. He encountered a city with buildings all constructed before 1959, now in ruin, while people slept on the streets.
"The real culprit is Cuba's socialist policy, because all these buildings you see here were built before 1959 and are falling apart," he remarked in another of his videos recorded in Baracoa. "How does Cuba have money to build new hotels but not to repair this kind of infrastructure?"
The YouTuber also exposed the contradictions of Cuba's agricultural model: farmers are forced to hand over the majority of their crops to the government without economic incentive, and for years there was a law prohibiting the slaughter of personal cattle, leading many to abandon livestock farming.
"These are the things they don't tell you about socialist policies," he noted.
While traveling through rural areas, Elliot spoke with former regime supporters who have since changed their stance. "They are true revolutionaries, staunch followers of Fidel Castro, but almost none support the current government. That's the truth," he stated.
Despite the bleak situation, the creator highlighted the warmth of the Cuban people. In one of his videos, he left his camera and money unattended on the street, claiming he never felt in danger. "Cubans are incredible people," he remarked.
In Havana, Elliot showed a nurse selling garlic and other goods on a street corner: "There are no jobs, no food," said the content creator.
Elliot was adamant in dismissing the claim that the U.S. embargo is primarily to blame for the crisis: "This is not America's fault; it's the result of 67 years of failed policies. Absolutely shameful."
This isn't the first time Elliot has documented Cuba's reality. In May 2025, he went viral showing the crumbling, inhabited buildings in Havana, with over 2.1 million views on TikTok, and in June of that year, he posted images of a Havana tenement where about 500 people lived crowded without running water.
His 2026 Cuban series offers a deeper look inside the island, far from tourist paths, with a conclusion that leaves no room for doubt: "Communism destroyed Cuba. Nothing more, nothing less."
Understanding the Impact of Communism in Cuba
What message is Elliot El Guiri conveying through his videos about Cuba?
Elliot El Guiri's videos convey the message that communism is responsible for the destruction of Cuba, not the U.S. embargo.
How does Elliot describe the condition of Cuban farmers?
Elliot describes Cuban farmers as living in deteriorated homes, cooking with charcoal, and relying almost exclusively on sugarcane, while large areas of land are controlled by the state.
What does Elliot El Guiri say about the construction and maintenance of infrastructure in Cuba?
Elliot points out that many buildings constructed before 1959 are now in ruins, questioning how Cuba can afford to build new hotels but not maintain existing infrastructure.
What example does Elliot give to highlight the contradictions in Cuba's agricultural policies?
Elliot notes that Cuban farmers must hand over most of their crops to the government without economic incentive and that there was once a law against slaughtering personal cattle, which discouraged livestock farming.