Salvadoran content creator Óscar Sandoval, widely recognized online as Gordo Soyacity, recounted a nerve-wracking experience during his recent trip to Cuba. Sandoval detailed how he was detained and questioned by Cuban authorities just as he was preparing to leave the island, an incident that left his wife in tears as she anxiously awaited him on the other side of immigration control.
"My wife cried when they detained me as we were leaving," Sandoval shared in an interview with Salvadoran journalist Romeo Lemus, released Wednesday on YouTube. In this discussion, he offered fresh insights into his stay in Cuba.
Detention and Interrogation
Soyacity recounted that he was led into a separate room by authorities while his wife had already passed through security. He spent about 20 minutes in detention.
"She was on the other side, and I was stuck here. They kept me there for around 20 minutes, and she was growing frantic," he recalled.
During the interrogation, they repeatedly asked him about his reasons for visiting Cuba, the places he had been, and whether he carried cameras. He even offered to hand over his phone but assured them that he had already removed any content he had filmed during the trip.
Precautions and Initial Suspicions
Throughout his visit, the content creator took precautions by filming exclusively with a cell phone and sending the footage out of Cuba. He decided not to upload any videos until he was securely out of the country, or at least until reaching Panama.
Soyacity described initial suspicion upon arrival. Both he and his wife were singled out at the airport and faced questions about their activities and equipment.
His wife was questioned about whether they carried a drone, Internet antennas, or any devices that might facilitate external communication. Ultimately, both were allowed entry.
Exploring Havana and Varadero
During their stay, Soyacity explored various parts of Havana, documenting everyday life in a series of videos shared on his YouTube channel. In a video released on September 8, he outlined their journey through the Cuban capital before heading to Varadero.
The couple wandered through Havana's streets, engaged with locals, and visited sites such as a cinema, a funeral home, a cemetery, pharmacies, and a shopping mall, capturing the challenges they encountered. They also spoke with individuals who hadn't eaten that day.
The Varadero trip provided a stark contrast, with hotels, tourists, food, drinks, pools, and beaches, which Soyacity described as a striking difference from their previous experiences in Havana.
"The more we saw the images, the less we wanted to show them off," he mentioned in the video. He reflected on the abundance at a table full of food while recalling the lines they'd seen for a simple piece of bread or the opulence of a hotel juxtaposed with the streets they'd walked days earlier.
Reflecting on the Experience
Soyacity clarified that their experience was not intended to be a definitive portrayal of Cuba: "We were only there for a few days, saw specific places, talked to specific people, and our experience is just that—our experience."
However, during the interview with Lemus, he admitted that documenting these realities instilled fear while still on the island.
"I was more afraid of the government," he confessed, recalling the apprehension he felt throughout the trip. He feared the authorities might prevent him from leaving Cuba because of the content he was recording.
"The risks are real," he asserted. Soyacity expressed that he had never felt such relief upon leaving a country as he did when exiting Cuba, fearing they might stop him from returning home.
The tension subsided once the couple continued their journey. Soyacity shared that they celebrated upon arriving in Panama, stepping onto Panamanian soil after days of uncertainty over potential issues with Cuban authorities.
Despite the ordeal, the Salvadoran spoke warmly of the people he met during his visit and expressed a desire to return to engage with Cubans again, though he acknowledged that, given the circumstances, a return might not be possible.
"I don't think I can go back," he concluded.
Understanding Travel Risks in Cuba
Why was Óscar Sandoval detained in Cuba?
Óscar Sandoval was detained by Cuban authorities for questioning at the airport as he was leaving the country. They asked him about his reasons for visiting, the places he visited, and whether he had cameras.
What precautions did Soyacity take during his trip to Cuba?
Soyacity filmed his trip only using a cell phone and sent the footage out of Cuba. He also delayed publishing any videos until he was safely out of the country.
How did the experience in Varadero differ from Havana?
In Varadero, Soyacity observed an environment full of hotels, tourists, and abundance, contrasting sharply with the scarcity and everyday struggles he documented in Havana.