A Cuban resident in Spain challenged the narrative that the United States is "the best country in the world" by comparing parental leave policies and hospital costs between the two countries in a viral video.
Magdi C, content creator under the username @magdic.music, posted the video on TikTok on May 21, gathering over 157,000 views, 9,038 likes, and nearly 1,500 comments from a Cuban community divided between those who emigrated to Europe and those who went to Florida.
"You say that the United States is the best country in the world, but the best for whom? Because here in Spain, if I have a baby, both the mother and father can take up to 19 weeks off while being paid to care for the child. Yes, getting paid to be with your family," the Cuban begins in the clip that lasts less than a minute.
The contrast presented has regulatory support. Spain extended its parental leave from 16 to 19 weeks per parent on July 31, 2025, with the benefit paid at 100% of the regulatory base by Social Security. In single-parent families, the leave extends to 32 weeks.
In the United States, the situation is radically different. The only federal law applicable to the private sector is the FMLA, which guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. There is no federal mandate for paid leave for private workers, although some states like California and New York have their own programs.
Magdi C also highlights the economic impact of childbirth in the U.S.: "Here, in a public hospital, it practically costs you nothing. In the U.S., there are people who leave the hospital with a baby and a debt of thousands of dollars." According to available data, a vaginal birth without health insurance in the U.S. can cost between $10,000 and $22,000; a cesarean section can exceed $40,000.
"Imagine starting your child's life in debt to the hospital. But then they say Europe is lagging behind," concludes the content creator.
The video is part of an ongoing debate within the Cuban diaspora. A Cuban woman reopened this very discussion last Wednesday, and another Cuban compared healthcare in both countries after receiving emergency care, tests, and 21 days of sick leave fully covered by the Spanish Social Security system.
The argument for paid maternity and paternity leave has become one of the most frequently cited by those defending the European model over the American one, and Magdi C's video illustrates this with a straightforward conclusion: "I don't know about you, but I prefer a country where having a child doesn't financially ruin you."
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