Fewer Cubans are risking their lives on the journey through the Darién.

A total of 575 Cubans crossed the Darién jungle during the first eight months of the year, a figure that confirms a decrease compared to recent years.

Official data from Panama's immigration authorities reveal that Cuba ranks 17th on the list of countries whose citizens cross the dangerous Darién Gap on their journey to the United States.

January was the month of 2024 when the most Cubans crossed the inhospitable strip between Colombia and Panama: 108 in total. From then on, the number began to gradually decrease (except in April, when there were 78), and by August the amount had dropped to 50.

According to the Panamanian National Migration Service (SNM), from January to September 9, approximately 244,243 transit people were registered through the Darién jungle, the majority originating from Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, and China.

The number of Cuban migrants through the jungle has been decreasing since 2023, when 1,124 were reported, significantly fewer than the 5,530 who migrated in 2022. That year, Cuba ranked fourth among the countries sending migrants to the area.

Cubans are trying to reach the United States through less risky routes, especially since the government of Nicaragua eliminated the visa requirement to enter its territory; from there, they travel up to Mexico.

From January to July of this year, more than 9,000 Cubans sought asylum in the Aztec nation, which keeps the Island in second place among countries of origin for emigrants, surpassed only by Honduras.

Specifically, 9,914 Cuban nationals in irregular situation requested protection from Mexican authorities during their journey to the United States, revealed the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR), which did not provide data on the number of resolved cases or those that received a positive response.

In June, a total of 17,563 Cubans entered through the borders of the United States, according to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office. It was the lowest intake in the first nine months of the U.S. fiscal year (FY2024), which began on October 1 of last year.