“What you are about to see changed my life forever”, this is how the first chapter of the migration journey narrated by a young Cuban begins on his Instagram account @brayanmr.rodriguez, where he recounts step by step his departure from Cuba through Guyana, in search of a better life, blending rawness, humor, and anguish.
In the video, which is part of a series that he himself describes as a "novel," Brayan narrates his journey alongside a group of Cuban migrants through jungles, impossible paths, overloaded cars, and precarious boats. "All for the sake of life", he says while recalling moments of fear, nerves, and uncertainty.
The odyssey begins upon disembarking from the plane in Guyana. At that moment, a contact picks them up and takes them to a house where they must wait until nightfall to continue their journey. From there, a trek characterized by precariousness, improvisation, and danger begins.
“Your best van picks you up with almost 20 people inside. Can you imagine the trip, right? But it doesn't matter, cousin, it's all for the sake of life,” says in one of the most moving excerpts.
The images depict long walks through muddy areas, stuck vehicles, broken shoes, endless waits, and even a scene where they must board an overloaded tiny boat.
“I’m scared,” you can hear them say, as they remember how the boat nearly capsized. “If you’re going to make this journey, please, stick to your diet at home, for the sake of others,” they warn with a humor that barely masks the fear experienced.
But Brayan had already shown signs in an earlier video that his decision was not impulsive. In that post, from Cuba, he describes how his life was a nightmare, with no electricity, no water, and no future.
Broke into impossible ideas to make money but all rejected. “The only thing I have left is the pyre, so I'm leaving”, he states. In his voice, despair and the desire for a radical change intertwine. “You all know the situation we’re living in here”, he declares.
A path repeated by many
The story of Brayan joins those of other Cubans who have chosen to publicly share their difficult migration journeys, like the young Ney Cruz, who traveled with her family, including her pregnant sister, from Cuba to Brazil, and described the fear of being checked at the airport and the excitement of arriving together in Florianópolis.
The Dailyn Cabrera, a Cuban mother who crossed to Uruguay with her two children. "Vomiting to the point of almost dehydrating and fainting, but I would do it a thousand more times,” she confessed.
Even well-known figures like influencer Fiu Fiu have shared the Cuban migration drama. “I slept on the stairs, ate from the trash,” he recounted while recalling his journey through Brazil until reaching the U.S., thanks to the help of two Cuban women in Miami who offered him assistance without knowing him.
In the midst of a Cuba marked by despair, migration has become a means of escape but also a collective testimony. Brayan's generation not only flees; they also record, publish, and denounce. They expose their wounds on social media in the hope that someone will listen. That the world will know.
“This is just the beginning, the craziest part is coming in the next reel”, says Brayan. He says it like someone who is getting ready to keep walking, even though it hurts. Like someone who, amid fear and mud, holds onto faith.
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