Cuban YouTubers Challenge World's Sluggish Internet Speeds
Internet connection in Cuba is subpar and there's the threat of government suppression. Despite this, some YouTubers in the nation persist in sharing their existence with the world.
A video titled "The True Face of Havana's Capital" has been watched over three million times on YouTube within six weeks. It provides a stroll through Centro Habana, a neighborhood adjacent to Havana's old town. Old vehicles, bicycle taxis, street vendors, lengthy queues, puddles of sewage, mountains of trash, and buildings on the brink of collapse - are all featured in the footage. "This street is dangerous, but everyone knows it's not the only one," a voice remarks. A clip from a viral video on social media follows - of a woman allegedly injured due to a building collapse in the same neighborhood.
The voice belongs to Jorge Luis Llanes. His channel "The Spartan Vlog" has nearly 400,000 subscribers. Llanes is one of the most successful Cuban YouTube creators - a feat made possible in the world's slowest-internet country, according to tech firm NordVPN, for a few years now. The 39-year-old is from Centro Habana. For his videos, he not only explores Havana but also tours other parts of the Caribbean nation governed by the Communist Party.
Unveiling All of Cuba
"My goal is to present all of Cuba," Llanes tells Deutsche Presse-Agentur, without sugarcoating anything. This can be hazardous. A German citizen, Luis Frotet Compte, is currently imprisoned in Cuba for recording a protest. On July 11 and 12, 2021, thousands of Cubans peacefully protested against mismanagement and for freedom in various locations. These were the largest demonstrations since the 1959 revolution. The communist government of the Caribbean one-party state characterized these protests as an attempt by the USA to destabilize Cuba and responded with severe measures. Hundreds of protest participants are still in custody today. Even a social media post that displeases the state can be punishable by law.
"For an average Cuban earning between 10 and 15 dollars a month, it's extremely difficult to save enough money to buy an apartment, although apartments in Centro Habana are becoming more affordable," Llanes explains in the video. "When the owners sell them fully furnished, it's because they're leaving the country - a trend that's increasing these days." According to official figures, Cuba's population decreased by nearly 10% in just the years 2022 and 2023.
Internet is Slow and Pricey
Mobile data has only been available in Cuba for about six years. Prior to that, people could only use the internet in parks via an expensive public network. WLAN access is still scarcely available - and those who have it must purchase time cards from an office. Llanes must upload his videos using mobile data, which he estimates takes around an hour and a half. The internet is not only slow but also expensive. Furthermore, people have to deal with frequent power outages. Sometimes, internet access is even blocked - such as after the protests three years ago, which also gained momentum through social media.
The internet enables the global audience to witness the reality in Cuba, for instance, through YouTube videos. It also offers Cubans a platform to explore beyond their island. "With internet access, we could see what's truly happening in the world and how the world functions," Llanes says. "Unlike what we're taught in school, books, and on TV." However, certain websites and apps are blocked due to government censorship and the US embargo.
Olivia Solís discovered the first generation of Cuban YouTubers, including Llanes, 2.5 years ago and decided to give it a try herself. Initially, the 32-year-old made videos providing beauty tips. Then, her mother, who lives in Miami, advised her: "Why don't you make something about Cuba? That's what people like - especially us Cubans abroad who want to know what's happening in Cuba," recalls Solís, who lives with her husband and a cat in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Havana with her husband and a cat.
The computer science graduate now has over 82,000 subscribers and earns a living from her YouTube income, as does Llanes. However, due to the embargo, these funds cannot be sent to Cuba, so her mother in the US receives and forwards the payments.
Solís also creates many videos consisting of visual tours or drives through Havana's streets, with a voiceover discussing current topics in Cuba. Her most popular video offers tips for visitors to Cuba. She has also started a second channel, a video diary where she shows, for example, how she opens packages of donations sent to her from abroad, mainly food, which she uses to support four needy families in her neighborhood.
The Boundaries of the Allowed
Other Cuban YouTubers have left the country after facing issues with the state. One of them, Dina Stars, was arrested at her home during a live interview on Spanish television. Solís says she tries to avoid problems but has sometimes spoken out clearly about Cuba's problems. "There have been videos where I've said, 'Oh no, they're coming for me now,'" she says. "I don't know if I'm lucky or what, but so far, everything's been fine."
"There are things you can't say because the state will start asking questions," says Llanes. Discussing political prisoners is problematic, for instance. According to activists, over 1100 political prisoners are currently in Cuba.
Llanes hasn't encountered significant issues with his video content so far. Nevertheless, he's got this itch to move - specifically, to Germany. He shares the motivation to depart from Cuba with many others, asserting, "Regardless of how much income you generate, you can't truly live a fulfilling life in Cuba due to all the existing issues."
Despite the challenges of subpar internet connection and government suppression, Instagram could also serve as a platform for Cuban content creators like Olivia Solís, who found success on YouTube.
The risks associated with discussing certain topics on YouTube, such as political prisoners, make exploring other social media platforms like Instagram even more compelling for Cuban creators seeking to freely express themselves to a global audience.
