A Cuban woman living abroad sparked a wave of reactions on TikTok with a nearly five-minute video where she directly challenges her fellow Cubans who remain on the island, harshly questioning their lack of unity in the face of the country's crisis.
The TikTok user, known as @mini_lolita92, begins her video with a question that encapsulates her frustration: "Do you like the way you're living? Do you like that those of us living outside Cuba have to keep stepping up for you?"
Her message is emotionally charged, with the woman on the verge of tears, using colloquial Cuban expressions throughout her speech.
Courage Misguided, She Claims
The core of her criticism focuses on a contradiction she finds intolerable: "You're able to use all that courage to abuse, to kill, to steal, to assault, to take advantage of those who fight for what little they have. Yet, you can't use that bravery against those who truly deserve it."
The woman mentions she hasn't set foot on the island for years and is indifferent to whether she is banned from returning: "I haven't been to Cuba in years, and I don't care if they never let me back in." Despite this, she acknowledges having family and friends there and expresses her suffering from a distance.
A Call for Mass Mobilization
Her central plea is for a massive mobilization, but she warns: "If it's only two or three people taking to the streets, don't do it; it's not worth it. Without mass participation and unity, don't bother. Because in the end, it's always the same few, and the rest sit at home waiting to see what happens."
She also questions the role of religious institutions on the island—"brotherhoods, powers, and cults"—asking what they are doing about the crisis and if they believe the solution is to "remain silent."
Rejecting Political Labels
The TikToker firmly denies that her message is political or related to the embargo or U.S. foreign policy: "Don't talk to me about a blockade, or an embargo, or any of that. I'm talking about Cuba's internal issues, about Cuba's system."
She anticipates the criticism she'll face—that she is inciting violence or speaking too easily from abroad—and dismisses it outright. She asserts that, if she were in Cuba, she'd "either be imprisoned or dead, one of the two." She concludes with a warning: "I won't be silenced. Nor will I stop."
The video is part of a recurring trend among the Cuban diaspora on social media, where emigrants express their exhaustion with the situation on the island and what they perceive as a passive attitude from those who remain there.
Understanding the Cuban Diaspora's Frustration
Why did the Cuban woman create the TikTok video?
She created the video to challenge her fellow Cubans on the island to unite and address the country's crisis, expressing frustration over their perceived inaction.
What is the main criticism she has against Cubans on the island?
Her main criticism is that they misuse their courage for negative actions like stealing, while failing to unite against those responsible for the crisis.
Does she link her message to political issues?
No, she explicitly states that her message is not political and is focused on internal issues within Cuba, not related to the embargo or U.S. foreign policy.