A Cuban man's emotional reaction to the abundance of Costco sparked a heated, cross-platform conversation about abundance, capitalism, and foreign policy. @yoelandmari’s Jan 5, 2025, TikTok video followed a friend who’d just arrived from Cuba as he experienced enormous cuts of meat and bulk fresh fruit at a US Costco.
The man described what he was feeling and said, “You never think you’ll get here until you step foot and say wow it really is real. Because you just see it in the movies. This is really hard to see. It’s emotional.”
@yoelandmari/TikTok
@yoelandmari’s post has 630 thousand views on TikTok, where American viewers expressed gratitude for the abundance available to them. Commenters wished the man well and thanked @yoelandmari for their moving content.
The video was shared on X and Reddit, where it racked up millions of views and provoked other conversations. Commenters questioned the TikTok creator’s motives and discussed the US’s role in Cuba’s economic crisis.
"Our friend just came from Cuba"
TikTokers were moved by the man’s emotions in Costco, and many were dismayed at how much Americans take for granted. The abundance of meat available at the US store could be unfamiliar to a person from Cuba. Beef is often imported, which inflates its price, but pork is usually available, even during meat shortages in Cuba. Pork costs between $1—2 per pound and could amount to a considerable expense for the average person living on average Cuban wages ($16 USD per month).
@yoelandmari
Our friend just came from Cuba. The reaction is almost the same. �
♬ Snowy Morning - FREDERIC BOUCHAL
“This is such an eye opener: overconsumption is real. We have too much. We need to appreciate more and learn to live with less.”
“Awww. He’s precious. But I can see the pain in his eyes that his people back home don’t have this. One day soon hopefully they will!”
The video was crossposted to r/TikTokCringe where it has nearly 10 thousand upvotes and 1.5 thousand comments from people who felt the video was propaganda.
Reddit user u/Appropriate-Car4787 dug into @yoelandmari’s content and reported back to the thread. The user claimed the TikTok account that had originally shared content exploring cultural differences between a husband and wife—he’d been in the US for years longer than she had, had become increasingly politicized with a “Cuban communist government bad, American capitalism good" agenda.
“While obviously the difference in living conditions between the average American and average Cuban are massive, I believe this reaction is for the camera and engagement,” wrote u/Appropriate-Car4787 in a comment with over 1 thousand upvotes.
Commenters across platforms mentioned the elephant in the room
The video was shared on X where @billybinion brought Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who pulled out a surprise victory over rival Andrew Cuomo to become the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City on Tuesday. The post has over 2 million views.
The X user wrote, “Show this video to Zohran. A Cuban seeing Costco for the first time gets emotional witnessing the sheer abundance. People who’ve actually lived under socialism are often the most moved by what markets can create. Capitalism is a miracle, actually.”
@xauaday queried @grok in reply, “How long has Cuba been sanctioned and how many trade embargo’s?”
People on TikTok and Reddit also discussed US sanctions on Cuba.
“Hopefully we lift our embargo and sanctions.”
“America has been actively destroying Cuba for decades and Americans still act surprised when the tiny island doesn't magically recover from getting bullied by a superpower.”
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