At least 142 Cuban rafters have died trying to reach the U.S. during 2024.

The dangerous maritime journey from Cuba to the United States has claimed the lives of at least 142 rafters so far in 2024, according to a report from the Missing Migrants Program of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

These tragic figures, cited by EFE, are part of a broader picture that records a total of 291 migrants dead or missing on maritime routes in the Caribbean during the year, representing an 18% increase compared to the 247 cases reported throughout 2023.

The crossing through the Florida Straits to Miami is the deadliest of all, with the highest number of recorded victims, followed by the route from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, which has left 91 dead.

Other dangerous routes include the one leading to the Canary Islands, with 15 victims, and the one from Haiti to the Dominican Republic, with one, the organization indicated.

Edwin Viales, regional monitor for the Americas of the Missing Migrants Project, warned in a recent working session about the difficult natural and climatic conditions in these areas, as well as the forced disappearances caused by traffickers, which contribute to many vessels disappearing without a trace.

"The outlook is not encouraging. Now more than ever, coordinated international efforts in the Caribbean are needed to save lives," emphasized Viales.

In addition, she pointed out that these routes are not used exclusively by Latin American and Caribbean migrants.

In August of this year, the remains of 14 people from Senegal and Mauritania were found in a small boat off the coast of the Dominican Republic, highlighting the transcontinental use of these dangerous routes. Similar cases have been recorded in Brazil and other Caribbean countries, with a troubling increase in transcontinental shipwrecks.

The IOM has launched several initiatives to address the issue. Among them, a project by the Cuban newspaper El Toque, which collects information about the dead and missing; "The Route of Life" in the Dominican Republic, which seeks to raise awareness about the risks of irregular routes; and a project by the organization HIAS to support Caribbean countries in managing migration.

The situation highlights the desperation of thousands of Cubans and other migrants who risk their lives in search of a better future, and the constant arrival of Cuban migrants on U.S. shores demonstrates that the migratory flow from the island shows no signs of stopping.

On the previous Monday, CBP and USCG agents rescued five Cuban immigrants who had been adrift for seven days southeast of Port Everglades. This group, showing severe symptoms of dehydration and exhaustion, was one of the 41 migrants who were repatriated to Cuba last week.

Amid this situation, the sinking of a boat in July, in which 11 people were traveling from Pinar del Río, caused a stir. Only two men survived, while the body of a 20-year-old young woman, Ana Elis Gazquez Vargas, from Consolación del Sur, was found.

In July, a total of 15,645 Cubans entered the United States, according to the latest report from the Customs and Border Protection Office, with 4,918 of them arriving in Florida, mostly by sea.