A Cuban identified as Alejandro Rodríguez Cuervo published a reflection on emigration and farewells that has resonated with those living on the island about the daily weariness of the exodus: he has just said goodbye to another friend who decided to leave, and what he describes is not surprise, but a learned resignation.
“Goodbyes have become as commonplace as 'resolving' or 'struggling.' So familiar it is, you learn to live with it,” writes Rodríguez Cuervo on his Facebook wall, encapsulating in a single sentence what millions of Cubans experience daily as their close circle disintegrates.
The author does not attribute the cause of the exodus solely to material scarcity, although he acknowledges that it does exist.
"It’s no longer about the absence of oil or milk (which are missing), but rather that the future is becoming narrower," he notes. What he describes is something deeper: an existential deficiency that turns each morning into a futile arithmetic exercise, calculating how far the salary stretches, how long the electricity lasts, and how long it takes for medication to arrive.
"Creativity (the kind that makes us so proud) has become a machine for filling gaps," he writes, in one of the most striking phrases of the text.
Regarding those who emigrate, Rodríguez Cuervo paints a picture that goes beyond luggage: "The one who departs almost doesn't take suitcases with them. What they carry are rituals, customs, and encounters; and upon arrival, they confront the harshest cold—the cold of nostalgia, of the unfamiliar, of starting almost from scratch."
But reflection also points inward, towards those who remain. Each farewell, it says, opens a裂 and forces an uncomfortable question: "Each departure confronts us with our own decision to stay, and we ask ourselves whether we are brave or insecure."
This type of testimony is part of an exodus that shows no signs of stopping. According to official data from the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) published in July 2026, approximately 245,264 Cubans emigrated in 2025, leaving the island's population at 9,434,593 inhabitants.
The province most affected was Havana, with 57,433 departures. In 2024, the figure had been 251,221 emigrants.
Since 2021, more than one million Cubans have left the island in what represents the largest exodus in the country’s recent history.
The demographic crisis is further exacerbated by the decline in birth rates: in 2025, there were only 68,051 births compared to 134,354 deaths, resulting in a negative natural balance of over 66,000 people.
The official average salary closed 2025 at 6,930 Cuban pesos per month, equivalent to between 10 and 13 dollars at the informal rate, while the basic cost of living exceeds 50,000 pesos according to multiple estimates. The informal dollar was around 673 pesos in August 2026.
The phenomenon described by Rodríguez Cuervo is known in psychology as migratory grief. Those who remain accumulate sadness, anxiety, and a sense of loss without having left the country themselves. In Cuba, this nostalgia is colloquially referred to as "the sparrow."
"Those of us who are not leaving continue to look at the sea, drinking in the salt and the hope, and desperately trying from here to build a future and a home. Until one day, if there is no other option, we may decide to emigrate," he lamented at the end of his post.
Related videos:
Filed under: