Malena Mendoza, a 23-year-old Cuban, announced this week her return to Cuba after six months of living in Costa Rica, and she did so with an argument that surprised many: she did it for the well-being of her five-year-old daughter.
In a video posted on TikTok last Monday, Malena explained that she anticipated the criticism: "Sure, the first thing that will come to your mind is: she didn't think of her daughter. And you see, one of the many reasons I decided to return was because of her, because I, as her mother who knows her, know where she was happiest and where she wasn't."
The young woman described a daily reality that became emotionally unsustainable: "My daughter is happy now because she no longer tells me that she misses her little house or her room, nor does she say that she misses her friends from the daycare or her family, nor does she mention that we would stay crying together: she because she didn't want me to go to work and me because I hardly had time to dedicate to her."
Malena did not shy away from the contradiction of returning to an island in deep crisis: "It’s no secret that Cuba is at its worst moment," she acknowledged, although she added with resignation that "for things to get better, they first have to get much worse."
She was also careful not to present her decision as a model to follow: “I’m not romanticizing anything because, of course, everything comes with a sacrifice, and my respects go out to those mothers who truly have the courage to do it.”
Reflecting on her experience abroad, Malena expressed her gratitude: "I am incredibly thankful to Costa Rica for opening its doors to me during those six months and for introducing me to such wonderful people who I will always carry with me," she said, describing the period as "a lived experience from which I learned a lot and came to appreciate things I had not valued before."
The case of Malena is part of a pattern that has gained visibility on social media over the past few months. In May, a Cuban mother returned to Cuba despite the blackouts, stating that her young son "wasn't happy" despite better material conditions abroad. In January, Maydalina Valdés Fernández returned from Costa Rica, declaring that "loneliness was killing me." In April, the TikToker Yaniuska López announced her definitive return to Cuba from Angola with the phrase "returning does not mean failing."
The common denominator in these testimonies is the prioritization of family bonds and emotional health over the material advantages of the outside world, in a context where Cuba is experiencing its worst crisis in decades: daily blackouts of up to 20 hours, a 23% decline in GDP since 2019, and widespread shortages of food and medicine.
Voluntary returns, however, represent a minority within the Cuban exodus. According to data from the International Organization for Migration for 2025-2026, 94% of Cubans surveyed in Costa Rica stated that they want to remain in that country.
Malena concluded her video with a direct piece of advice for those who resonate with her story: "Emigrating is not for everyone, and that’s okay too."
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