Hello. I am 34 years old, male, Cuban, and I live in Guantánamo—which, in itself, is quite a complicated situation.
I studied computer science and graduated as an engineer in 2016. I worked for four years in Havana, and from 2021 to 2023, I worked in Canada. In 2024, I worked independently, creating small software programs and applications for specific clients; I also taught programming, English, and web development.
Since 2025, I have owned a small business selling audiovisual content and providing document printing services—a type of business that is very common here in Cuba. I haven’t done much actual programming; the applications I’ve built were created using artificial intelligence tools that generated the code, which I then debugged, tested, and delivered to my clients. These were simple applications, but they did earn me some extra income.
However, the situation in Cuba keeps getting worse: electricity is scarce, internet access is extremely limited, and the quality of life is abysmal. Thanks to savings from my time in Canada and my current business, I’ve managed to maintain a relatively quiet life without too many hardships. But what good is having an income in a country plagued by rising inflation and shortages of food and medicine? It’s just... well, you get the idea.
Having previously managed to leave the country and work as a software developer abroad, I’m now looking to identify which skills I could learn that would enable me to work internationally again. I’ll be honest: I’m quite out of touch with the current state of software development. The applications I’ve built have mostly been fairly basic, relying on AI to generate code quickly, which I then tested, reviewed, and delivered to the client.
A challenge I’ve encountered—and one that other Cuban developer friends of mine have also faced—is that many foreign companies are increasingly reluctant to hire Cubans for remote roles, primarily due to issues with electricity, internet connectivity, and payment methods. Even developers living in Havana, who may have better living conditions and relatively stable access to power and the internet, still struggle to secure remote work.
Given this, should I focus on sharpening my existing programming skills, or would you recommend that I learn one or more new skills that might help me land a job in another country?
I don’t have children, so I have a fair amount of time each day to dedicate to study and learning. I also have a backup power system at home (an EcoFlow unit paired with a solar panel) that lasts for several hours. Aside from the occasional household chore, I have plenty of time to focus on studying or learning something new.
What would you recommend? Thanks in advance.