A Cuban resident in Spain shared this Thursday a testimony that captures the emotional paradox experienced by thousands of Cuban emigrants: having a better material life outside the island, but feeling that they were happier back home.
"In Cuba, I was happier; I'm not talking about material things, I'm talking about the people, the warmth of human connection, family, friends," says @clauferrales in the video posted on TikTok, which lasts one minute and thirty seconds.
The young woman clarifies from the outset that her nostalgia is not related to material possessions or comforts, but to something far more difficult to replace: "I am referring to the memory of the life you built and had to leave behind."
He acknowledges that Spain has given him what Cuba could not offer. "Here I have found peace and stability. Here I have allowed myself to live without the daily anxiety. Without the blackouts," he states, and adds that emigrating was "the best decision" he made.
However, he admits that something essential is missing: friends to call up and meet for a coffee. "I've always been someone who values friendship, but nowadays many of us are spread across the globe, and we have to live our experiences through WhatsApp groups," he laments.
The testimony establishes a distinction that resonates among Cubans living abroad: the difference between real Cuba and the Cuba of memory. "I don't want the Cuba of 2026, I don't want a country torn apart," he states clearly, before adding, "I know that Cuba is not the same, but there is a Cuba in my memories where I was happy. At least, thank goodness, no one can take those moments away from me."
That Cuba, described as "shattered," will experience in June 2026 one of its worst energy crises, with deficits exceeding 2,000 MW during peak night hours and blackouts in some areas lasting more than 18 hours a day.
The experience of @clauferrales is not isolated. Multiple testimonies from Cubans in Spain describe a persistent emotional struggle where material improvements coexist with loneliness and uprooting, as documented by the real story of every Cuban who emigrates to Spain.
Spain is the main European destination for Cuban emigration, with an estimated community of over 252,000 registered individuals by the end of 2024 and nearly 287,000 by 2025, with additions of between 2,000 and 2,500 Cubans to the registry each month.
Other Cuban women have shared similar stories: a young woman who fulfilled her dream of leaving Cuba in September 2025 described feeling empty due to the distance from her family, while the human cost of the exodus is summarized in an image that repeats: empty houses, lonely grandparents, and broken mothers.
@clauferrales closes her video with the same phrase with which she opened it, as if she needed to reaffirm it: "And yes, in Cuba, I was happier."
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