Hundreds of Thousands Are Leaving Cuba (Video)
What are the effects of the Cuban migration crisis?
HAVANA TIMES – Cuba is emptying out. We have heard that phrase a lot, and it’s no wonder: the country is experiencing the largest wave of migration in its history.
The exodus in recent years is greater than the Mariel Boatlift in 1980, when 130,000 Cubans left the country, and much more significant than the 1994 rafter crisis when about 35,000 escaped.
The video has subtitles in English
Alex demonstrates by his comment abysmal ignorance of the reasons why young Cubans are departing their homeland. The embargo has been in place for over 60 years under the US Cuban Democracy Act. In all those years departure at the rate of one third of a million per year, only occurred in 2023! The fact that Cubans did not require to risk their lives upon floating junks, but could sell their worldly goods and buy a ticket to fly to Mexico made a huge difference – and the Diaz-Canel regime was complicit in allowing such flights! Fewer to feed and an increase in remittances – upon which it depends being the third largest source of revenue – behind professional services (so-called medical and educational brigades) and tourism. For Alex, ignorance is bliss.
The U S embargo is the not the problem nor has it been for the last 12 years because goods available from China India and other countries. Instead look at the gov control and the treatment of the people in Cuba and those that try to invest in Cuba or even provide long term help to local farmer Co ops
I believe, that Cubans stop leaving beloved country as soon as USA government will remove their embargo from Cuba. Cause of immigration-embargo.
Cuban Regime has nothing with it.
It really is a tragedy to witness thousands upon thousands of Cubans, mostly young Cubans, exit their beloved country. It has to be an excruciating, heartbreaking decision to have to abandoned family and friends to venture into the unknown. Absolutely, Cubans or Venezuelans are certainly not the first people to have to undertake such scary excursions.
Historically, massive population upheavals have happened throughout history. After WW2 many, many displaced war ravaged penniless peoples have had to exit their beloved countries – Germany, Italy, Russia, and one can go on and on. The amount of suffering they had to endure to find economic freedom one can only imagine. Unfortunately, this type of unimaginable suffering continues unabated today where totalitarian government rulers treat their citizens with disdain and contempt.
What makes the Cuban exodus, and you may as well add in Venezuela in the mix, hard to tolerate is that it does not have to occur. Because of the incompetence, ineptness, intransigence of both totalitarian governments, citizens who value their freedom flee. As the video clearly points out those that leave are the young, the resourceful, the ones a country can ill afford to lose.
What remains are the old, those without resources, those incapable of leaving. The future of the two countries is seriously jeopardized. Gone is the human infrastructure that propels a country forward. It has been stated in Cuba now due to a lack of young medical applicants anyone can apply for medical school irregardless of academic rigour. The past rigorous academic medical entrance requirements are no longer required.
The totalitarian Cuban government needs medical doctors not so much to administer to Cuban citizens but to use as revenue generators when these medical doctors are exported on medical missions. What does the totalitarian government care if Cubans leave the country ? It is the youth who seeing no future in their homeland may take to the streets and may cause political upheaval and/or challenge the current communist rulers. Aged Cubans do not take to the streets demanding freedoms. And, that is exactly how the Cuban government wants it and probably plans for it.
Those host countries like the United States, Spain, Chile, Canada reap the unintended benefits of this massive exodus from Cuba and Venezuela. Just like after WW2 all those displaced peoples from Europe landing in North and South America have contributed tremendously to the economic, cultural, and societal advancement of each geographical area. So too will the energetic, enthusiastic, Cubans and Venezuelans also make positive, progressive contributions to their newly chosen society.
The question posed in the video’s intro was: What are the effects of the Cuban migration crisis? In a nutshell to summarize my contribution, my answer is this: Unfortunately, for Cuba, it will translate into a significant human resources and economic loss, and for the recipient countries they will experience significant economic gains.
One only has to witness the contributions from past peoples’ exodus to the economic success of North and South America. Now, add a significant number of energetic, hardworking Cubans and Venezuelans to the mix and one can only postulate perpetual positivity in every measurable sphere.