Why does Mauro send Elena her mother's ashes in the novel, Infinite Country?

When Mauro sends Perla's ashes to Elena in the U.S., it is a symbol of the alienation this family experiences as a result of their separation. Elena experiences overwhelming guilt for not being by her mother's side when she dies, and Talia disapproves of her grandmother's ashes going to America: "But Talia thought it was wrong to parcel her away from Colombia, a country she said she'd never leave, even if the gringoes granted her a visa, even if her daughter and grandchildren made lives elsewhere" (68). This is demonstrative of the constant tension in the family caused by their split between the two different countries.