Carolina Amoroso, an Argentinian journalist reporting for TN and Canal 13, has asserted that the large-scale departure of Cubans serves as undeniable evidence of the failing system that drives them away. The real inquiry, she suggests, should not be about how people are leaving, but rather what conditions are so dire that individuals are willing to risk everything to escape.
Amoroso shared these views during an interview following the release of her documentary, "Cuba, the Island That Fades Away." This film, covertly recorded over a week in Havana under a tourist visa, was broadcasted on TN, Telenoche, and the Aura platform.
"Exoduses don't lie, migrations don't lie. When you have a population ready to risk their lives to leave a place, the question to ask is: what is happening in that place that makes someone willing to risk it all to get out, even at the cost of their own life?" Amoroso expressed during an interview with CiberCuba.
To bolster her argument, Amoroso cited her firsthand experiences from 2022 when she covered the treacherous Darien Gap, the perilous migratory route between Colombia and Panama. There, she encountered mostly Venezuelan migrants, alongside Haitians and Cubans.
"When you see entire families with young children facing the sheer number of brutal attacks against women and girls in the Darien, and they are still willing to endure that for the American dream, traversing all of Central America to reach the United States, you realize they are only fleeing from failure," she remarked.
The journalist was unequivocal in labeling Cuba and Venezuela as "failed states from any perspective," highlighting the massive scale of the exodus: "This isn’t just a few people; we are talking about millions, not thousands."
Available data supports her statement. Over 850,000 Cubans entered the United States between 2022 and mid-2024, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, far exceeding the Mariel Boatlift—125,000 people in 1980—and the 1994 Balsero crisis—35,000 people—combined.
Specifically, nearly 6,000 Cubans traversed the Darien Gap in 2022.
Amoroso also pointed out an element that clouds the understanding of the Cuban crisis: the romanticization of the revolution, which has persisted for decades within Argentine artistic and intellectual circles.
"What muddles the Cuban drama is this element of romanticization," she noted, adding that this very aspect inspired her documentary: "I wanted to portray the real Cuba, the everyday reality experienced by Cubans, a drama that has been unfolding for decades."
"It has caused a transgenerational trauma in Cuba that is painful to see and hear in the testimonies," Amoroso concluded.
Understanding the Cuban Exodus
What evidence supports the claim of a massive Cuban exodus?
Over 850,000 Cubans have migrated to the United States between 2022 and mid-2024, as reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, surpassing historical migration crises like the Mariel Boatlift and the Balsero crisis combined.
Why does Carolina Amoroso believe the Cuban system is failing?
Amoroso argues that the willingness of Cubans to risk their lives to leave the country is a clear indication of systemic failure, questioning what conditions are so intolerable that people are driven to such extremes.
What obstacles do migrants face on the Darien route?
Migrants on the Darien route encounter numerous dangers, including perilous terrain and violent attacks, particularly targeting women and children, yet they persist in their journey toward the United States.