CARDENAS, Dec 18, (V7N): On January 3, 2023, 32 hopeful Cubans, including families, young adults, and children, embarked on a perilous journey across the Caribbean toward Florida, seeking refuge from economic despair. They were never seen again, leaving behind grieving families and unanswered questions.

Among them were an eight-year-old girl traveling with her mother, a six-member family from Camagüey, and three fathers with young children. Their makeshift raft left from Playa Larga, equipped with a sail, oars, and metal barrels for buoyancy, but their journey ended in tragedy.

Unanswered Questions, Unbearable Pain

The disappearance of the raft highlights the human toll of migration. Families remain desperate for closure. "Nobody has given us an answer," said Osmara Garcia, mother of Jonathan Jesús Alvarez, one of the missing.

For some, the only clues were personal items washed ashore in Florida. Dariel Alejandro Chacón's mother received his backpack, which was found near a luxury golf club days after the raft disappeared. "From then on, my life changed... it was all about the search," said Amparo Riviera, mother of Yoel Romero, another victim.

A Deadly Route to Hope

The Caribbean has become an increasingly deadly route for Cuban migrants fleeing economic hardship. At least 368 Cubans have died or disappeared on this journey since 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

In 2022 alone, 130 Cubans perished at sea, making it the deadliest year on record for such migrations. Unlike the Mediterranean, where NGOs track migrant vessels and organize rescues, the Caribbean lacks systematic monitoring, leaving countless "invisible shipwrecks."

Escaping Economic Crisis

Cuba is grappling with its worst economic crisis since the 1990s, exacerbated by U.S. sanctions and the global economic downturn. The situation has fueled the largest migration wave since the 1959 revolution, with over 700,000 Cubans arriving in the United States—legally or illegally—between January 2022 and August 2024.

Many Cubans risk illegal sea crossings due to restrictive U.S. entry policies that require a sponsor. Videos of cheering migrants aboard makeshift rafts have circulated online, but little is said about those who never reach their destination.

Survivors' Stories

Survivors like Oniel Machado, a 49-year-old blacksmith, recount harrowing tales. In April 2022, Machado and 12 others clung to the wreckage of their raft, praying for salvation as waves battered them. They eventually drifted into U.S. waters, only to be intercepted and returned to Cuba.

“We prayed to God,” Machado recalled, “and when we woke up, we were in U.S. waters.”

Families Demand Answers

The families of those lost at sea demand acknowledgment and justice. "We need to know, whatever the answer is... because the uncertainty is unbearable," said Riviera.

For now, the plight of Cuban migrants remains a stark reminder of the risks taken by those seeking a better life, and the profound impact on the loved ones left behind.

END/WD/RH