According to numbers compiled by Cuban economist and demographer Juan Carlos Albizu-Campos, the island’s population fell by 18% between 2022 and 2023

The streets in Cuba look empty. Dozens of residents in every neighborhood have shut the door to their homes for the last time. Long lines in the Havana airport to board a flight to Nicaragua grow by the day. Some time ago, there was talk of a stampede, a collective fever to escape, to avoid being the last witness of a country’s collapse. Nearly three years ago, it was said that Cuba was seeing the biggest migratory wave in its history, and though authorities have not released official data regarding the current population, a new study reveals the real toll of the island’s dramatic exodus.

“I have never seen so many people emigrating as I am right now,” says 43-year-old Havana resident Valia Rodríguez. “Of course, any Cuban would love to go. I would, for example. If I had the means, I would go, because in this country, with this government, one can’t live. And I’ll tell you something else, if I hadn’t recently given birth, I would have left, because the situation is unsustainable.”

  • eldavi@lemmy.ml
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    4 months ago

    I’ve personally had a mixed experience with Cubans. Some are great nurses, doctors and hard workers. Many are scammers or thieves looking for a handout

    same here; the 2 most influential people besides my parents were cubanos (we were mexicans) and every single cubano i’ve met since then were scammers as well; i guess, at some point, living in cuba got really difficult because of those sanctions so they adapted and i think having to suffer under biden et al’s anti-gay, pro-inescapable student loan debt, anti-feminist, and pro-segregationists views have helped me understand why people would change in that way.

    • Cuttlefish1111@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      those sanctions so they adapted and i think having to suffer under biden et al’s anti-gay, pro-inescapable student loan debt, anti-feminist, and pro-segregationists views have helped me understand why people would change

      From my experience they come from Cuba acting as bigots and thieves- it was not something they learned when they got here, as it seems you’re trying to imply. As always no on wants to be on the bottom of the totem pole. The funniest thing is they vote republicans as immigrants themselves, lol, surely the leopards won’t eat my face.