Cubans Look South
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With the end of legal migration pathways to the US, such as the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (CHNV) humanitarian parole program, which allowed 110,970 Cubans to live and work in the US, Cubans have been forced to look elsewhere as quality of life on the island continues to decline. Rather than heading north, many are opting to build new lives and new communities across Latin America and the Caribbean. Here are some of the countries Cubans are increasingly migrating to:
Brazil – For the first time ever, more Cubans are applying for asylum in Brazil than Venezuelans. As of June, Brazil has had twice as many asylum requests from Cubans, 19,419, compared with Venezuelans, 9,850.
Costa Rica – According to numbers published by the General Directorate of Migration and Immigration, Cubans are the second most popular nationality requesting asylum in Costa Rica, with 1,140 applications this year, behind Nicaraguans.
Uruguay – The deadline for Uruguay's residency program has been extended, aiming to regularize an estimated 20,000 migrants, mostly Cubans, and ease a backlog of asylum cases. In the first quarter of 2025, Uruguay recorded an increase in asylum applications from 1,700 Cubans, marking a sharp rise in Cuban migration compared to previous trends.
Suriname and French Guyana – A growing number of Cubans are traveling to Suriname in hopes of then receiving asylum in neighboring French Guyana, which would allow them a pathway to EU citizenship.
Mexico – In April, Tapachula reported that Cubans and Haitians were the nationalities most frequently requesting asylum in the city.
Nicaragua – The country’s visa-free entry policy for Cubans has led to the growth of Cuban communities across the nation. Although the situation remains complicated, as migrants are limited to a 180-day stay, with a possible three-month extension.
In 2024, the top countries where Cubans applied for asylum were Brazil (22,288), Mexico (17,884), the US (13,685), Uruguay (7,413), and Spain (1,437). However, in the US, immigration judges are increasingly denying asylum claims—76 percent of cases were denied in March 2025, up from 60 percent in August 2024. Taken together, these trends mark a notable turn: Latin America and the Caribbean is no longer just a corridor for Cuban migrants on their way to the US. As has happened with other nationalities, such as Venezuelans, it is becoming a destination as people settle, build networks, and navigate the legal and economic landscapes of countries across the region.
This week in Cuba news…
Cuban Migrants Outnumber Venezuelans in Brazil
Over 19,000 Cubans have arrived in Brazil this year, outnumbering Venezuelans for the first time. This is significant considering over eight million Venezuelans are currently displaced globally. Records indicate that many Cubans are continuing south to the city of Curitiba, which now ranks just behind the northern entry-point cities in terms of Cuban asylum requests.
Additionally, according to the R4V platform, in the first quarter of 2025, irregular entries through Peru’s Madre de Dios border with Brazil rose sharply compared to the same period in 2024. Cubans made up roughly 14 percent of these crossings, behind Venezuelans (69 percent). This increase is likely linked to enforcement at other borders and internal flow changes in Brazil.
This trend began in 2024 when, according to the UN Refugee Agency, Brazil became the country with the highest number of Cubans applying for asylum (22,288 applications), ahead of Mexico and the US.
17 Cubans Detained in Bolivia
On August 9, Bolivian authorities detained 17 Cuban nationals, including two minors and one elderly individual, at Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz while en route to Brazil and Nicaragua. All reportedly held valid tourist, work, or transit visas issued by the Bolivian consulate in Cuba. The migrants are currently being held in an airport lounge without money or access to food. Detainees report severe hunger, stomach pain, and emotional distress.
One of the detainees is Cuban journalist Orlidia Barceló, the director of the digital outlet, El Espirituano. The Committee to Protect Journalists has spoken out and posted on X that if deported, Barceló “risks being jailed under Cuba’s repressive media laws.”
According to Periódico Cubano, one detainee explained: “They tell us that, since we were not admitted to Bolivia and never ‘entered’ the country, they are creating fear that we cannot continue and that we must contact organizations providing support to people seeking refuge, such as UNHCR in Bolivia and CONARE.” Authorities have not recognized any political refugee claims and have indicated plans to deport the group to Cuba.
731 Cubans Deported to Third Countries in 2025
New data from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), obtained by the Deportation Data Project, shows that from the start of 2025 to June 26, 731 Cuban nationals have been deported from the US to third countries, meaning nations other than Cuba. This places Cubans fourth among nationalities deported to third countries, after Venezuelans, Guatemalans, and Hondurans.
Where they were sent:
Mexico: 719
Canada: 6
Nicaragua: 3
Dominican Republic: 1
Guyana: 1
Bolivia: 1
Among these deportees, six entered the country as asylum seekers, four as legal permanent residents, and three as parolees. Five cases were recorded as “voluntary departures.”
In terms of criminal records, ICE records show that 72 of the deported Cubans were classified as “Convicted Criminal”, 27 as “Pending Criminal Charges”, and the remaining 632 were classified as “Other Immigration Violator,” a category indicating no criminal charges.
Separate from these third-country removals, 833 Cubans have been deported to Cuba so far in 2025 across the seven monthly deportation flights to the island since the beginning of 2025. We also know that two Cubans, Enrique Arias-Hierro and Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Quiñones, were deported to South Sudan after Cuba refused to accept them.
The Deportation Data Project cautions that these figures may understate the true numbers. In 2024, their totals were far lower than ICE’s official annual report, suggesting some deportations may not be reflected in the current dataset.
U.S. Department of State Imposes New Visa Restrictions on Government Officials Involved in Cuba’s Medical Missions
On August 13, the State Department announced new visa restrictions on Cuba’s government officials for “complicity in the Cuban regime’s medical mission scheme.” Visa restrictions were also imposed on African and Grenadian government officials due to their alleged complicity. Specific African countries or individuals were not identified.
The State Department also issued visa restrictions on Brazilian government officials and former Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) officials for “complicity with the Cuban regime’s labor export scheme in the Mais Médicos program.” These officials include Mozart Julio Tabosa Sales and Alberto Kleiman, who worked in Brazil’s Ministry of Health during the Mais Médicos program. The press release cites allegations of officials using the PAHO as an intermediary with Cuba to implement the program without following Brazilian constitutional requirements, skirting U.S. sanctions on Cuba.
Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bruno Rodríguez Parilla criticized the move on X writing, “Cuba will continue providing services.” The visa restrictions, which bar these officials from entering the United States, appear to fulfill a policy outlined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in February. At that time, Mr. Rubio explicitly named foreign government officials outside of Cuba as potential targets for such restrictions if they actively supported Cuba’s “labor export program.”
The US has urged all countries involved in Cuba’s foreign medical missions to withdraw their participation, alleging concerns over forced labor practices. Leaders in the Caribbean have been reluctant to work with the US, arguing that Cuban doctors play a crucial role in the region’s healthcare systems despite having sought asylum in the US on claims of political persecution
American Airlines Seeks a Waiver on Cuba Flight Paths
American Airlines has filed a request with the Department of Transportation (DOT) seeking a temporary waiver on a route to Cuba during the upcoming 2025-26 winter season. The airline pointed to “ongoing U.S.–Cuba market conditions” that are slowing passenger demand recovery, saying the move would let it “better align capacity and services with market conditions” while retaining the option to resume flights if needed.
American currently dominates the U.S.–Cuba market, with data showing it operates 83 weekly flights to six Cuban cities from Miami, holding a 68.4 percent share of total seat capacity.
This comes after United Airlines moved to suspend its Houston–Havana travel route starting September 2, citing sustained off-peak demand volatility.
Cuban Peso Plunges to Record Low as Dollarization Deepens
On August 11, the Cuban peso hit a record low of 400 pesos to the U.S. dollar in the informal exchange market. The peso has already lost 25 percent of its value in 2025 alone, meaning Cubans now need a quarter more pesos than they did in January to buy the same amount of dollars.
The currency’s slide comes as Cuba’s government has moved toward partial dollarization, meaning the U.S. dollar has begun to replace the peso for some goods and services. The government allows certain transactions, especially in state-run stores, to be carried out only in dollars or other foreign currencies, a challenge for Cubans without access to them. Cuba’s Prime Minister Manuel Marrero has defended this shift, saying it helps the state capture hard currency circulating in the country to stabilize the economy.
However, for ordinary Cubans, dollarization has made life more difficult. Salaries and pensions are still paid in pesos, while basic goods, often scarce in peso stores, are more available in dollar-priced shops. This forces many families to rely on remittances from abroad or turn to the black market for currency. In May and June, public outrage erupted after state telecom ETECSA limited the amount of internet Cubans could buy in pesos, requiring any additional purchases to be made in dollars. The company later made minor concessions.
The peso’s collapse reflects deeper troubles: the island’s economy has shrunk 11 percent over the past five years. Economists warn that as long as the government avoids comprehensively reforming the currency system, partial dollarization will continue to deepen inequality, benefiting those with access to foreign currency while pushing the most vulnerable further into hardship.
Miami Herald Reports GAESA Generated $2.1 Billion in Profit in Q1 of 2024
A recent Miami Herald investigation shows that Cuba's military conglomerate, GAESA, the Spanish acronym for Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., the economic branch of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces, holds as much as $18 billion in liquid assets. The majority of this cash is deposited in bank accounts or financial institutions abroad owned by GAESA.
While the Herald has not released the underlying documents, it claims that internal financial documents demonstrate GAESA’s holdings include ownership of dozens of companies in fields ranging from tourism to gas stations to remittances. According to the Herald, the documents revealed that GAESA brought in $2.1 billion in net profits in just the first quarter of 2024. Its largest holding, Cimex, a conglomerate involved in banking, tourism, and imports and exports, earned $1.2 billion during the same period.
Associate Professor of History and Chair in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at the University of Miami, Michael J. Bustamante, questioned on X how GAESA accumulated such vast riches amidst US sanctions. “It is highly improbable this degree of cash accumulation is due only to direct transactions with the U.S. in the Obama era or present,” he wrote, adding that more information is needed for a full assessment.
U.S. Agricultural Exports to Cuba Increase in June 2025
U.S. agricultural and food exports to Cuba rose 10 percent in June 2025 to $38.4 million, up from 37.2 million in May 2025 and $34.9 million for the same period last year, June 2024. Frozen chicken continued to dominate the market, accounting for the top three export products and making up 53.4 percent of the total value.
Humanitarian donations also played a significant role, totaling $14.5 million in June. These shipments typically arrive in Cuba via air carriers or cargo vessels and exclude personal deliveries by travelers or through third countries, which remain a notable channel for aid.
Recommended Reading, Viewing, Events:
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📖 Read | Colombia Journalism Review: The Cuban Journalist Trapped in America’s Immigration Blockade
📖 Read | Billboard: ‘It’s All Or Nothing’: Bebeshito’s Mission to Internationalize Cuba’s Reparto Music
📖 Read | Lawfare: Does the Posse Comitatus Act Apply at Guantanamo?
📖 Read | Associated Press: Cuban exiles honored at Miami’s ‘Ellis Island of the South’ as Trump ramps up immigrant arrests
📺 Watch | PBS: Edel Rodriguez: Freedom is a Verb
