Linh Pham

Cuba’s intricate legal system imposes a significant burden on citizens who venture abroad. Under one law, a Cuban who remains outside the country for more than 11 months without official authorization risks losing their citizenship, potentially becoming stateless if they lack another passport.

In 2003, 42-year-old Alexis Hernandez Manrique, proud of his Cuban and African heritage, left Cuba for Europe to pursue a career as a salsa dancer. After years of hardship in central Europe, he settled in Switzerland on a 10-year visa, teaching salsa classes to support himself. Yet despite his extended absence, Alexis is still required to carry a Cuban passport to enter and exit the island. Officially, however, Cuba now treats him like a foreigner.

This story follows Alexis’s journey between Cuba and Switzerland, tracing his quest for new opportunities abroad and the enduring ties that keep him rooted to the nation he still calls home.

Soy Cubano 2014 – 2015