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More and more Cubans are making the decision to stop viewing Latin America as a stopover and start making it their final destination.
A recent report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirms that the route to the United States is losing strength, while the number of those choosing to rebuild their lives in countries of the region is increasing.
Behind this change, there are not just statistics, but stories marked by exhaustion, uncertainty, and an urgent need for stability.
In Costa Rica, for example, 94% of Cubans surveyed in January and February of 2026 stated that they wish to stay in that country, drawn by better economic conditions, political stability, and opportunities for international protection.
Meanwhile, the routes to the north show clear signs of exhaustion. In Honduras, the irregular income of Cubans fell drastically, dropping from over 64,000 in 2024 to less than 19,000 in 2025, and just 1,500 in the early months of 2026.
Nevertheless, the migratory pressure does not disappear. It changes direction.
Brazil emerges as one of the most prominent destinations of this new phase. The South American country nearly tripled the regular Cuban migration in one year, increasing from just over 2,000 people in 2024 to more than 6,400 in 2025, with a steady flow throughout the year.
This growth is not coincidental. By 2025, more than 30,000 Cubans had sought asylum in Brazil, amid the economic decline on the island and the tightening of immigration policies in the United States.
What was once an uncommon destination has become a viable alternative for those looking to start over without facing the dangerous routes north.
Something similar is happening in Uruguay, where the arrival of Cubans has also surged, doubling its monthly average in just a year.
But not all paths are chosen. For many, Mexico remains a destination imposed by circumstances.
In cities like Tapachula, thousands of Cubans are stranded after being deported from the United States or getting caught in endless immigration processes. There, they survive as best as they can, between informal jobs and procedures that stretch on for months or even years.
Some arrive after spending decades in the United States. Others never managed to cross. They all share the same reality: rebuilding their lives far from home, often without support networks.
In parallel, thousands of Cubans are seeking humanitarian protection in Mexico, but the majority remain in a legal limbo without full access to rights, forcing them to continue moving or to adapt to precarious conditions.
The IOM report makes it clear that Latin America is no longer just a migration corridor.
It is increasingly becoming the place where many Cubans are putting down roots.
And that decision, far from being simple, speaks of something deeper: the end of a unique destiny and the beginning of multiple paths for those who, with the little they have, try to start over.
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