A Cuban residing in Brazil posted a video on TikTok warning her fellow countrymen about the challenging situation faced by those emigrating to Guyana in search of work, and urged them not to leave "recklessly" without any savings.
The content creator, identified as Dina (@dinacuba95), recorded the message from Brazil with a direct tone of warning: "Guyana is really bad, there’s no work, nothing. If you’re planning to go to Guyana, be prepared, take some money with you."
Dina pointed out two factors that complicate the route at this time.
The first is a recent police operation in Brazil against human trafficking networks operating along the border with Guyana.
The second issue, and the one that concerns Cubans the most, is the scarcity of jobs within Guyana itself, which leaves many migrants stranded without any income.
"There are many people who go out thinking: once I arrive, I'll work. And they go out with just enough," he warned.
The operation referred to is the Operation Trapaceiros, carried out on Wednesday by the Federal Police of Brazil to dismantle a migrant trafficking network that operated on the border between Guyana and the state of Roraima.
Dina clarified that the border between Guyana and Brazil is not closed, but she insisted that the labor situation in Guyana is "terrible."
The route taken by thousands of Cubans involves flying from the island to Georgetown, the capital of Guyana— a country that does not require a visa for Cuban citizens— traveling by land to Lethem, and then crossing the Tacutu River irregularly into Bonfim, in Roraima.
The Cuban community in Guyana is estimated to be between 5,000 and 7,000 people, although the actual number could be higher due to unregistered migrants.
Beyond unemployment, the danger of the environment in Guyana for Cubans has become evident due to a series of violent and accidental deaths recorded in 2026.
In February 2026, the Malecón Operation dismantled another trafficking network that is believed to have moved at least 200 Cubans in three months across that same border.
The Cuban exodus to South America shows no signs of stopping: in 2026, more than 40,000 asylum applications were recorded in Brazil, driven by the deep economic, energy, and social crisis the island is experiencing after decades of dictatorship.
"Go out prepared, go out prepared with some money, because Guyana is not doing well," Dina concluded her message.
Filed under: