Estela Rodríguez Jiménez, a Cuban resident in Tenerife, has issued an urgent warning on Facebook after assisting a young compatriot who fell victim to a human trafficking network. The young woman was lured with promises of a dancing job in Spain.
Through two videos posted on her profile, Estela explains how the young woman left Cuba on a tourist visa, traveled through Italy, and arrived in Tenerife under false pretenses. She was deceived by a man using a fake profile who promised her employment.
A follower of Estela asked the young woman to reach out to her for help. Estela, a content creator, guided her to social services and a specialized organization that deals with such sensitive issues in her region.
“Not every Cuban abroad is there to help. Be extremely cautious with people offering jobs to get out of Cuba, like dancing gigs and other lies. They are trafficking young people for prostitution and organ trafficking,” Estela warned in one of her videos.
The young woman, described as thin and frightened, will receive housing, employment, documentation, and medical care through a municipal shelter and an organization focused on combating trafficking, according to Estela.
Understanding the Deceptive Tactics of Traffickers
In her videos, Estela details the tactics used by these networks: they target women desperate to leave Cuba with promises of work or marriage, transport them abroad, and force them into prostitution.
The Cuban woman refrained from making direct reports due to concerns for her own safety and that of the young woman she assisted. “I’m risking my life too because we know what’s behind these cases,” she said.
Explaining the recruitment process in Cuba, she stated: “They lure them with lies about getting jobs, marrying them, or helping them, and then force them into prostitution. Once in Europe, they are mistreated and sometimes disappear.”
Victims are isolated from their families through calculated deceit, Estela explained. “They are forced to tell their families they can’t send money yet because they need to work. The families think they’re fine, but they’re actually in prostitution.”
The Ongoing Threat and Its Wider Implications
Estela also highlighted a particularly alarming detail. The man involved in this case reportedly planned to travel to Cuba soon to recruit more young women in Holguín.
Following the revelation of this case, a flyer circulated on social media advertising an “Open Casting in Cuba” for dancers for projects in Menorca, Spain, with a Cuban WhatsApp number. The announcement was identified as fraudulent by the Facebook group ReVoLiCo BaYaMo GrAnMa.
One of Estela’s followers expressed gratitude for the warning: “They offered me $40,000. Thank God for your post, otherwise I would’ve gone because I was already planning to leave for that place.”
Estela also cautioned that social media is actively used to target young Cuban women. “You post photos on Facebook, share videos of yourselves dancing, and they are hunting you,” she warned.
The case of the young Cuban woman occurs in the context of ongoing police operations against trafficking networks in Tenerife. In January, the National Police freed 27 women, including some minors, who were being prostituted in four clubs in the south of the Spanish island, with 14 arrests made.
Estela concluded her message with a reflection aimed at mothers of young people eager to emigrate at any cost: “Protect your daughters. Sometimes it’s better to wait amidst blackouts and hardships. God must provide a solution for Cuba, which doesn’t involve losing one’s life.”
Protecting Young Cubans from Trafficking Risks
How are young Cubans being targeted by traffickers?
Traffickers lure young Cubans with false promises of work or marriage, often using social media to identify and deceive desperate individuals looking to leave the country.
What should families do to protect their loved ones from trafficking?
Families should educate their loved ones about the dangers of trafficking, encourage open communication, and be wary of too-good-to-be-true job offers or casting calls, especially those found online.
What actions are being taken in Tenerife against trafficking networks?
Authorities in Tenerife have been conducting operations to dismantle trafficking networks, leading to the liberation of victims and the arrest of perpetrators involved in such illegal activities.