A rustic raft displayed in a public park in Hialeah, Florida, became the focus of an emotional search. Cuban content creator and musician Yonesqui Cabrera Velázquez, known on social media as Cabrerita305, wants to find the rafters who used it to cross the Florida Straits and reach the United States.
Cabrerita is originally from Caibarién, Villa Clara, and now resides in Miami. He posted a video on his Instagram account in which he showcases the boat and reveals its purpose.
"Someone, in this, left Cuba one day and arrived in the United States of America. What rafters must have crossed the Florida Straits in this raft?" he asks in front of the camera.
According to the content creator, the vessel was donated to the city of Hialeah during the administration of then-mayor Carlos Hernández. Today, it is displayed in a community park. He describes it as “rustic, completely authentic” and points out that its engine — the brand of which sparked lively debate among followers — could be of Soviet manufacture.
What motivated Cabrerita to embark on the quest is, in part, his own song "Las Almas del Estrecho," dedicated to the exodus of Cuban rafters.
"I am excited about the idea of not leaving this once vessel of freedom discarded and putting it back to sail in search of its protagonists," he stated in the video.
The responses of the Cubans
The post sparked an avalanche of testimonies from people who experienced the journey by sea from Cuba to the United States firsthand. Many identified themselves as rafters and shared their stories with a mix of pride, pain, and humor.
One of the most striking comments was from a user who shared a photo of their boat: "This was ours, we arrived on November 23, 2022, we were 19. We traveled in bad weather and faced many difficulties, but we made it to Key Colony, Marathon."
Another user recounted a group journey under extreme conditions: "Just like that one (from Hialeah), with a blown Isuzu engine, we arrived in 24 hours with two women, two children, and 18 men."
A third individual introduced himself as a veteran of multiple illegal attempts to leave Cuba: "I’ve been a balsero nine times. I would assemble them as if they were bicycles. That engine is a Hyundai H100 from the panataxi buses."
Among the most heart-wrenching accounts was that of someone who left from Playa Cajío, in Güira de Melena, in 2006, headed for Cancun: "Unfortunately, one person jumped overboard with 12 miles to go and was lost."
"I came in a small inflatable raft of three meters with a little engine. What a crazy experience. It was in January, with a cold front coming down. I bounced more than at an amusement park, but here we are," wrote an internet user.
Another Cuban added, "I'm a balsero. I came on a three-foot wide and 14-foot long aluminum boat. I paddled across!"
There were also those who arrived in 1994, during the Special Period and who wish to see their raft again, reflecting on their current life: “Mine is in Fort Jefferson, I’ve always wanted to go see it. I live in Houston, Texas, and I hope one day to be able to return to that place and see my little raft.”
Another point of debate centered around the engine of the Hialeah raft. Most commentators suggest a Hyundai or a Mitsubishi, not a Soviet engine.
A Cuban summed up the historical weight of the vessel: "That rustic raft tells the story of the nearly three million Cubans who have had to leave our island."
Cabrerita announced that he will continue the investigation and invited his followers to suggest questions for when he manages to contact any of the original crew members.
According to figures from the International Organization for Migration, at least 142 Cuban rafters have died while attempting to reach the United States, just in the first eight months of 2024.
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