A Cuban resident in Costa Rica published a video on TikTok last Monday in which she defends Cubans who express on social media their desire to return to the island, and strongly criticizes the derogatory comments received by those who make that decision.
The creator, identified as @gabenittez, recorded the video after seeing "too many" posts from fellow compatriots announcing their return to Cuba and receiving insults and judgments in the comments in return.
"We cannot judge people for wanting to go back. It doesn't mean that they are cowards or that they don't want to work," he stated.
Its central argument is that emigrating involves a sacrifice that goes far beyond the economic: "What is it that you are sacrificing? You are sacrificing your family for that. Many are sacrificing their children, their friendships, their way of life, their identity as a person."
The young woman also speaks from her own experience. She acknowledges that in Costa Rica she has "what I never thought I could have in Cuba," but she does not hide the emotional weight of that material achievement.
"I miss my parents and my family every single day of my life. I am literally alone here. I have a huge family, and they are all in Cuba, which pains me every day in my soul," she confessed.
One of the most striking moments of the video is when it addresses the fear that, according to her, accompanies every immigrant: "I could very well spend five years here without seeing my family, and suddenly not have a family anymore. God forbid, that can also happen; it's a constant fear we live with."
The author also rejects the argument that those who return do so out of naivety or unwillingness to work. She acknowledges that some emigrate with unrealistic expectations, but insists that many others "have worked their whole lives, know how to work, have put in countless hours to support their families, and yet still cannot."
"You really have to be in the immigrant's situation to understand what it is and how one feels," he emphasized.
The video is part of a debate that has been active on social media for months. Since January 2026, several Cubans have published viral content announcing their voluntary return to the island from various countries. A Cuban woman broke down in tears while recounting how her brother decided to return to Cuba with his wife and children because he was unable to stabilize himself legally in the United States. In April, Yaniuska López announced her permanent return to Cuba after living in Angola, in another video that generated thousands of reactions.
This phenomenon occurs in the context of the largest exodus in recent Cuban history. Between 2021 and 2024, around 1.79 million Cubans left the island, reducing the resident population to approximately 8.6 million, according to estimates by demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos.
Costa Rica has historically been both a transit point and a settlement for Cubans. In 2016, about 8,000 Cubans were stranded there after the border closure by Nicaragua, and in recent years many have rebuilt their lives in the Central American country, although testimonies agree in describing the process as difficult and marked by family separation.
"In a few years, life will tell you whether it was really worth it or not," concluded @gabenittez.
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