Havana/“Of originals these tennis do not have the ‘O'”, admits without Rodeos Liuba, an informal saleswoman that displays a varied catalog of shoes on the table. All are falsifications, but that does not seem to bother her. “They will not be authentic, but I only sell G5 copies,” he says with a tone of pride. The term refers to high quality replicas that imitate the design – sometimes even the materials – of popular brands such as Nike.
Twice a month, Liuba travels to Panama to stock up. Part of the merchandise brings it in its own luggage, another sends it by parcel or makes it through third parties that are part of the same commercial network. “What I sell are high -end imitations: they look a lot like the original, but they cost what people can pay here,” he explains to 14ymedio.
Prices speak for themselves: a G5 copy of some Nike Air Max X Supreme is quoted at 27,000 Cuban pesos – four times his mother’s salary, who works in the laboratory of a polyclinic; Adidas Campus are around 15,000; And some Converse, also false, reach 20,000. “There is no deception: the buyer knows what he takes,” he emphasizes.
“There is no deception: the buyer knows what he takes”
The phenomenon is not exclusive to Cuba. Falses – once, jewelry, toys – have sophisticated so much that they even deceive experts. Although most of the laws prohibit their commercialization, the global copies market continues to grow, especially on the Internet and among young consumers who want recognized brands at reduced prices.
On the island, the demand is triggered by the desire of young people to wear famous logos at a price consistent with its low purchasing power. According to the Intellectual Property Office of the European Union, in 2021 the value of counterfeit and pirate products reached 467,000 million dollars worldwide. China and Hong Kong lead production.
Before, private vendors in Cuba swore not to sell falsifications although everyone knew that many goods were not original. Now they admit it without shame, and their clients assume it naturally.
Loly, a 19 -year -old habanera, has become a influencer of the false. On Instagram poses with Prada glasses, Saint Laurent bag and Adidas Samba tennis. In the photos, he carries shopping bags as if he came from a boutique; But in reality, they are pieces acquired in the black market, some of which reverts to their followers. “Sometimes I publish a photo with a bag and in five minutes I have ten orders. With some products there is waiting list,” he says.
The rise of ultra -granted fashion platforms as Shein or Temu It has also influenced. Many Cubans make cheap orders through intermediaries, relatives in the US or mules that travel frequently. The merchandise arrives on the island from where there is more transit in Cubans: Miami, Panama, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Venezuela … but factories are further: China, Türkiye, Thailand.
“Every time my daughter appears with a blouse or tennis that, after a single use, lose color or take off the sole”
In Telegram, Loly manages several groups with thousands of members, where he publishes photos and prices of everything: bags that the original would cost 5,000 dollars, shoes, jeans, glasses … even clothes just seen in catwalks or concerts of famous artists.
Not everything shines: “Every time my daughter appears with a blouse or tennis that, after a single use, lose color or take off their sole,” says Marilín, mother of a teenager addicted to these sales groups.
The acceptance of copies is no longer taboo. “Years ago it was a symbol that you were poor but now you display them with pride,” says the woman. The economic factor remains the main one: access a product with a luxury appearance without paying its real price.
Social networks and Influencers They are key. Tiktok is one of the epicenters of the promotion of falsifications on the island. To the State, which has never respected copyright, the phenomenon is not worried: it is common to find imitations even in official markets. “They have fined me for not putting the QR code of payment, but never for selling copies,” confesses Liuba, owner of a store in El Vedado, pointing to shelves full of caps and brand bags, all false.
In some cases the sale ads do not even clarify that they are not original because no one expects that on the island of piracy can be found more than copies
Only when copies affect health on alarms. In 2022, the Center for State Drug Control (CECMM) warned false drugs as amitriptyline or diazepam sold out of pharmacies. Out of that, the issue has barely been addressed in the official media.
In sport, the false football t -shirts market is razor: 10,000 to 35,000 pesos, with qualities that go from ephemeral to the almost authentic. In some cases the sale ads do not even clarify that they are not original because no one expects that on the island of piracy can be found more than copies.
Logic is repeated: for many, a replica is the way to “belong” without emptying the pocket. Karla, 22, summarizes it with humor while wearing shoes with the “s” of Skechers: “They are more false than a selfi without filters, but I like them and my friends recognize them from the networks. Nobody cares that they are not original.”
