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While thousands of Cubans continue to dream of reaching Miami, an increasing number have started to change direction.
In the face of the closure of US immigration doors, intensified by President Donald Trump, Brazil —and specifically the city of Curitiba— has become a new destination for those fleeing the economic collapse and repression on the island.
“Every day more people arrive”, says Bloomberg Santiago de Posada, a 53-year-old from Camagüey who now runs a pizzeria in downtown Curitiba. He arrived in Brazil in 2022 and has witnessed the Cuban community multiply in just a few months.
In 2024, more than 22,000 Cubans applied for asylum in Brazil, double the number from the previous year, and this year they have even surpassed Venezuelans in applications, according to data cited by Bloomberg.
A new path in front of a blocked dream
With the immigration measures promoted by Trump, which removed special protections for Cubans and exposed hundreds of thousands to deportation, many on the island have given up on the American dream.
It is the case of Lisbet Despaigne, a 35-year-old mother from Havana who decided to migrate to Brazil after learning that a relative was detained in Mexico. “My children were not going to go through that”, she explained to Bloomberg from her new apartment in Curitiba.
Curitiba, the capital of the state of Paraná, has witnessed hundreds of Cubans arriving with similar stories. They seek the same things: a bit of stability, a roof over their heads, food on the table, and the possibility to live as human beings.
“It's not much, but it's enough to live like a person,” said Roberto Carlos Escriba, a 27-year-old from Tunera who works as a machinery operator and was having dinner with his wife and child in a restaurant filled with fellow countrymen, complete with reggaeton in the background.
From Havana to a crowded supermarket
For many Cubans, arriving in Brazil also means having their first encounter with things that seem impossible on the island.
“Cubans arrive here and enter a supermarket filled with meat and feel like crying”, says Oscar Vásquez, a 22-year-old chef from Havana with over 12,000 followers on TikTok. “When I left Cuba, I never imagined restaurants like these, and I am a cook”.
The migration phenomenon has multiplied thanks to social media, YouTube channels, and Facebook groups like “Cubans in Curitiba,” which now exceeds 45,000 members. There, advice is shared on finding housing, employment, and how to send remittances.
The price of starting over
But the journey is not easy. Many arrive through Guyana —the only country in the region they can travel to without a visa— and travel long distances to the south of Brazil. Some end up in debt to fraudulent travel agencies, while others face racism or Brazilian bureaucracy in order to obtain refugee status.
“A person who emigrates without papers is nobody”, summarizes Noslen Castro, a resident of Manzanillo who now lives in Venâncio Aires, in the southern part of the country, and who has become a kind of guide for other Cubans.
In Curitiba, there are also stories like that of Liset Larrondo Salas, an Afro-Cuban from Santiago who faced racial discrimination in a hair salon. “That's their problem. I'm not going to stop being black,” she replied without hesitation.
A new language, a new life
Today, Cuban accents can be heard in supermarkets, schools, and parks. Hundreds of Cuban children have enrolled in local schools, and businesses run by compatriots are already thriving: from restaurants and barbershops to tattoo studios.
The mayor of Curitiba, Eduardo Pimentel, although he has welcomed migrants, has expressed his concern about the pressure this could place on the city's resources.
Despite everything, for many Cubans, this new life is worth it. "Cubans always think about the United States because there you can financially support your family. And no matter how much I want to, I can’t do that now,” admits Oreste de la Cruz, a Camagüey engineer who washes dishes in Curitiba after his asylum application in the U.S. was denied.
Meanwhile, some like Gerardo González, a 43-year-old tattoo artist, have already brought his wife, son, and even his chihuahua. "In the end, Spanish will be spoken here," he jokes.
According to a study cited by Bloomberg, the population of Cuba has decreased by almost a quarter in the last four years. And the shift towards Brazil is not just a statistic: it reflects what many Cubans feel when they wake up each morning on the island.
“I can’t live without light, without food, without a future”, says one. “Here, at least, I can live as a person”, says another.
And in that phrase, an entire exodus is summed up.
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