From our Bureau of Socialist Tolerance, Open-Mindedness, and Neighborliness with some assistance from our Bureau of YouTubephobia
Castro, Inc. has a zero tolerance policy for criticism of any kind. And this policy applies to all Cubans as well as to tourists. But what Castro, Inc. fails to realize is that when it deports tourists for criticizing them, those tourists will shout even more loudly about what is wrong with Castro, Inc. Watch their video below (in Spanish) and/or read a brief summary of the video’s contents.
Loosely translated from Periodico Cubano
A couple of Peruvian tourists, YouTube content creators, were detained in Cuba and deported after being interrogated for more than 12 hours by State Security officials who accused them of inciting a Cuban uprising.
The incident took place on September 19 when they traveled to Havana as tourists intending to record travel videos for their YouTube channel, La Blue Kombi, which has over 284,000 subscribers.
Their troubles began upon arrival at the airport, where they were separated from other passengers and subjected to additional questioning by immigration authorities. During the initial hours of their stay, they engaged in tourist activities and collaborated with a local YouTuber.
However, while filming in the streets of Old Havana, they were detained by the police. Officers questioned them about their activities, suspecting that they were in Cuba for political reasons. Although they were initially allowed to continue their day, they found officers waiting in their hotel room to proceed with their deportation.
Before being forced to leave the country, they were subjected to a more than 12-hour interrogation, during which State Security officials made unfounded accusations. The couple was accused of being part of a foreign NGO with the intent to discredit the Cuban government.
The officials searched their phones and social media without a warrant, questioning the videos they had recorded. The couple denied all accusations, but the hostile tone of the interrogation persisted.
“They told us we violated our tourist stay in Cuba, but never explained what the violation was. They searched our phones, including private WhatsApp conversations, which made us very uncomfortable,” they recounted.
Officials mentioned that many YouTubers had created content they believed harmed the country’s image, leading to distrust of content creators. This distrust was a key factor in the suspicions towards the Peruvian couple. The situation highlighted a disconnect between the content creators produce and how it is interpreted by the Cuban government.
The couple was surprised that a country would be upset over a video they had recorded in another country, as if there were a connection between the two governments.
In the end, they were deported without a clear explanation of the alleged infraction. Upon returning to Peru, they consulted a lawyer who confirmed that their communication rights had been violated, as they were not allowed to contact their embassy during detention.
Overall, their travel experience was very negative, and they aim to inform their YouTube audience about potential similar problems when visiting Cuba.
They emphasized the importance of contacting your embassy if you encounter any issues abroad and warned against exchanging money on the streets, which caused problems during their stay. They also advised other content creators to be prepared for potential interrogations when visiting Cuba. The couple insists they had no political intentions and do not belong to any organization aimed at discrediting the Cuban government.