A rustic raft displayed in a public park in Hialeah, Florida, has become the focal point 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 Strait and reach the United States.
Cabrerita is originally from Caibarién, Villa Clara, and resides in Miami. He published a video on his Instagram account where 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 Strait on 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 remains on display in a community park. He describes it as "rustic, completely authentic" and points out that its engine — the brand of which sparked a lively debate among followers — could be of Soviet manufacture.
What motivated Cabrerita to embark on the search 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 abandoning this once-cherished boat of freedom and setting it sailing again in search of its protagonists," he stated in the video.
The responses of the Cubans
The post unleashed a torrent of testimonies from individuals who experienced the harrowing journey by sea from Cuba to the United States. Many identified themselves as balseros and shared their stories with a mix of pride, pain, and humor.
One of the most striking comments came from a user who shared a photo of their vessel: "This was ours, we arrived on November 23, 2022, and there were 19 of us. We traveled in rough weather and faced many challenges, but we made it to Key Colony, Marathon."
Another user recounted a collective journey under extreme conditions: "Just like that one (from Hialeah), with a blown Isuzu engine, two women, two children, and 18 men arrived in 24 hours."
A third person identified himself as a veteran of multiple illegal exits from Cuba: "I've attempted to leave by raft nine times. I used to put them together as if they were bicycles. That engine is a Hyundai H100 from the panataxi buses."
Among the most heart-wrenching stories was that of a person who left from Playa Cajío, in Güira de Melena, in 2006, heading to Cancún: "Unfortunately, one jumped overboard twelve miles away and was lost."
"I came on a three-meter inflatable raft with a small motor. Quite the adventure. It was in January, with a cold front moving in. I bounced around more than at an amusement park, but here we are," wrote a netizen.
Another Cuban added, "I'm a rafters. I came in a three-foot wide and 14-foot long aluminum boat. I paddled my way over!"
There were also those who arrived in 1994, during the height of the Special Period and who wish to see their raft again, reflecting on their current life: "Mine is in Fort Jefferson, I have always wanted to go see it. I live in Houston, Texas, and I hope to someday return to that place and see my little raft."
Another point of debate revolved around the engine of the Hialeah raft. Most commentators suggest it's a Hyundai or a Mitsubishi, not a Soviet engine.
A Cuban summarized the historical significance 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 she will continue the investigation and invited her followers to suggest questions for when she 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 attempting to reach the United States, just in the first eight months of 2024.
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