HAVANA, CUBA - APRIL 3: Silhouette of a man on a bycycle is seen as daily life in Cuba has grown increasingly difficult amid ongoing shortages, prolonged power outages and a sharp decline in tourism in Havana, Cuba on April 3, 2026. Streets that once saw a steady flow of foreign visitors now appear largely empty, reflecting the islandâs economic slowdown. Despite widespread scarcity of basic goods and an unstable electricity supply, residents continue to adapt and push forward, navigating a complex reality shaped by isolation and uncertainty. Add now is seen other sustainable ways to get access to the mobility with electric cars and bikes - Source : Getty Nick Shirley recently took to X and posted a video claiming that he was almost taken hostage in Cuba. Shirley wrote in the tweet that he was there to document "life under 60+ years of communism and now amid the US blockade." He further wrote that his cameras were seized as soon as he landed. "Once I landed, they seized all my cameras except my iPhone and had intelligence agents following me all day until my security noticed their spies tailing us to the hotel where they waited all night for us to come down," Nick Shirley wrote. He then went on slamming communism, suggesting that there was no freedom of speech under such a regime. According to Nick Shirley, they would imprison anybody who attempted to show the "reality" or "speak up." Shirley added that he had gone there without a "planned Cuban government guide." He ended the tweet by writing that the condition in Cuba was apparently a lot worse than "anybody knows." Further in the video, Nick Shirley said that there was no oil in the country, as Venezuela wasn't supporting them with any. According to Shirley, this caused a lot of issues, including massive power shortages. He added that his Meta glasses, microphones, and GoPros were seized at the airport. According to Shirley, they did not take his iPhone and one microphone that was in the bottom of his backpack. What did Nick Shirley share about Cuba in his video? Nick Shirley posted a video along with the aforementioned tweet. In the video, he first claimed that the authorities had seized a lot of his gadgets, including microphones and GoPros. He apparently then went out to film the lives of the people there under communism. According to Shirley, there were hardly any cars on the streets. He additionally said that the buildings were "crumbling." According to Shirley, people did not have much food to eat, and the area was covered with mass poverty. He then claimed that the condition of the hospitals was extremely poor. According to him, due to power shortages, surgeons apparently had to do surgeries using flashlights. He then clarified that he was making the video from a hotel in Havana that apparently had 24*7 electricity. According to Nick, the only reason he booked the hotel was their constant electricity supply. "Since we left the airport, we have been getting tailed," Nick continued. In the video, Nick claimed that the Cuban intelligence was in the hotel lobby, seemingly trying to imprison him or create a situation so that he couldn't leave the country. He then said that he and his team were planning a way to escape the country. He added that he had been trying to contact the US embassy to see if they could stay there for the night. Nick's video has garnered massive traction on social media, with about 7.8 million views as well as over 135K likes. In a follow-up tweet , Nick wrote that the entire video on Cuba was coming out in a few days. Meanwhile, Razones de Cuba responded to Shirley and dismissed his claims, while calling it a "pure anti-communist script." The outlet even claimed that Nick Shirley entered Cuba on a tourist visa and not a journalist visa. The outlet also accused him of conducting unauthorized interviews. "While he was fabricating conspiracies in a hotel with 24/7 electricity, over 600,000 Cubans marched on May Day for peace and submitted more than 6 million signatures against the blockade," the platform stated. The outlet also claimed that Nick Shirley chose to voluntarily leave the country early. TOPICS: Nick Shirley , Cuba Nick Shirley recently took to X and posted a video claiming that he was almost taken hostage in Cuba. Shirley wrote in the tweet that he was there to document "life under 60+ years of communism and now amid the US blockade." He further wrote that his cameras were seized as soon as he landed. "Once I landed, they seized all my cameras except my iPhone and had intelligence agents following me all day until my security noticed their spies tailing us to the hotel where they waited all night for us to come down," Nick Shirley wrote. He then went on slamming communism, suggesting that there was no freedom of speech under such a regime. According to Nick Shirley, they would imprison anybody who attempted to show the "reality" or "speak up." Shirley added that he had gone there without a "planned Cuban government guide." He ended the tweet by writing that the condition in Cuba was apparently a lot worse than "anybody knows." Further in the video, Nick Shirley said that there was no oil in the country, as Venezuela wasn't supporting them with any. According to Shirley, this caused a lot of issues, including massive power shortages. He added that his Meta glasses, microphones, and GoPros were seized at the airport. According to Shirley, they did not take his iPhone and one microphone that was in the bottom of his backpack. What did Nick Shirley share about Cuba in his video? Nick Shirley posted a video along with the aforementioned tweet. In the video, he first claimed that the authorities had seized a lot of his gadgets, including microphones and GoPros. He apparently then went out to film the lives of the people there under communism. According to Shirley, there were hardly any cars on the streets. He additionally said that the buildings were "crumbling." According to Shirley, people did not have much food to eat, and the area was covered with mass poverty. He then claimed that the condition of the hospitals was extremely poor. According to him, due to power shortages, surgeons apparently had to do surgeries using flashlights. He then clarified that he was making the video from a hotel in Havana that apparently had 24*7 electricity. According to Nick, the only reason he booked the hotel was their constant electricity supply. "Since we left the airport, we have been getting tailed," Nick continued.

In the video, Nick claimed that the Cuban intelligence was in the hotel lobby, seemingly trying to imprison him or create a situation so that he couldn't leave the country. He then said that he and his team were planning a way to escape the country. He added that he had been trying to contact the US embassy to see if they could stay there for the night. Nick's video has garnered massive traction on social media, with about 7.8 million views as well as over 135K likes. In a follow-up tweet , Nick wrote that the entire video on Cuba was coming out in a few days. Meanwhile, Razones de Cuba responded to Shirley and dismissed his claims, while calling it a "pure anti-communist script." The outlet even claimed that Nick Shirley entered Cuba on a tourist visa and not a journalist visa. The outlet also accused him of conducting unauthorized interviews. "While he was fabricating conspiracies in a hotel with 24/7 electricity, over 600,000 Cubans marched on May Day for peace and submitted more than 6 million signatures against the blockade," the platform stated. The outlet also claimed that Nick Shirley chose to voluntarily leave the country early. TOPICS: Nick Shirley , Cuba Terry Schanz reportedly faces multiple HR complaints, potential punishment after confronting Nick Shirley with a derogatory remark about his manhood Who is Terry Schanz? California State Assembly chief of staff crashes Nick Shirley's interview with a poster mocking his manhood "Had to get in a police car": Nick Shirley claims he was threatened with a knife while covering migrant crisis in Ceuta “What a disgusting bigot you are”: Nick Shirley’s MAGA Influencer mom slammed over criticising NYC Muslim DoorDash workers pausing work for prayer