A Cuban resident in Spain made a strong call for empathy directed at the Cubans who remain on the island, in a video published on TikTok last Sunday by the user @iday2023, identified as Idailis.
In the 57-second clip, the author recounts the case of a person who sent 4,000 euros to their family in Cuba over six months and, despite that sacrifice, receives hostile treatment from their own relatives.
"Tenguna only asks for a little more empathy. It's true that you are in a precarious, chaotic situation, but those of us here sometimes go without food to send to you," Idailis states in the video.
The author describes the situation of that person in stark terms: "I know for a fact that in six months that person has sent 4,000 euros to their family in Cuba, yet the way their family treats them in Cuba is incredibly harsh. That girl has no life; she has no life here."
To put the effort into perspective, Idailis recalls that the minimum wage in Spain is around 1,200 euros per month, which makes that amount more than three full salaries sent in just half a year.
Idailis' message reflects a trend that frequently occurs among the Cuban diaspora on social media. On June 2, Cuban BellaMadi severed communication with people on the island because every conversation ended in requests for top-ups or money.
On May 13, another Cuban exploded against those asking her for money "simply to buy beer" while they were seen enjoying themselves at the beach.
In March, a Cuban in the United States erupted because her relatives only contacted her for money and never to ask how she was doing.
The pattern is consistent: the emigrant feels that they are holding two lives —their own and that of their family in Cuba— without receiving emotional acknowledgment in return.
The dynamics are partly a response to the structural crisis that Cuba is experiencing. According to a report by The New York Times from January 2026, around 2.2 million Cubans have left the country since 2021, and nearly a third of the population lives in poverty, while GDP declined by more than 4% by the end of the third quarter of 2025.
In the context of chronic blackouts, food and medicine shortages, remittances have become a vital support for many Cuban households, creating a dependence that occasionally leads to emotional pressure on emigrants.
Idailis does not deny the difficult situation on the island, but her claim is clear: those who live abroad and prioritize the well-being of their families over their own deserve, at the very least, a bit more empathy and recognition.
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