HAVANA TIMES – The current fiscal year has surpassed the record for the last five years in the number of Cuban families arriving in the United States. From October 2023 to July 2024, 65,867 people accompanied by their close relatives arrived from Cuba, according to data from US Customs and Border Protection.
Elaine Acosta, a Cuban researcher at Florida International University (FIU), notes the increased number of women reflects the depth of the systemic crisis that has engulfed Cuban society, a crisis that affects the most basic aspects of life there.
“Despite the dangerous routes and the illegal nature of the current crossings, we’ve observed an equal or greater proportion of women and families in the migration process,” notes the specialist in aging, caregiving, and rights.
The systemic or “policrisis” of Cuba, as Acosta defined it at an FIU discussion, includes a deterioration in overall well-being, generalized impoverishment, and a lack of future perspectives, especially for the youth and their families.
Studies realized by the project that Acosta leads – “New Waves of Migration from Latin America” – revealed that the expectations for study and work of the youngest women are impossible to realize on the island. For that reason, they decide to seek other destinations.
Acosta describes the current phenomenon of Cuban migration as a “tsunami” that is leaving deep marks on the lives of those who leave, as well as on those who remain on the island. One result is that the elderly, who are often dependent on family support, are left unattended in very vulnerable conditions. This also impacts the accelerated aging of the Cuban population, while the loss of the