A Cuban woman from Cienfuegos recounted her 42-day journey to Miami on TikTok, a path fraught with police detentions, inhumane travel conditions, and a near-death experience in the Rio Grande.
Yenisleidys Solís shared her story in a video posted on July 10 under the user @yenisleidysolis, detailing each phase of a route that left her weighing just 90 pounds upon arrival.
Her journey began by selling her apartment in Cienfuegos to fund the trip. "When Nicaragua opened, I had an apartment in Cienfuegos. I lived there, sold the apartment, bought a ticket to Nicaragua, and set off," she explained.
The Struggles and Setbacks
On her initial attempt to cross from Nicaragua to Honduras on donkeys, the Honduran police detained her and another woman for 24 hours, deporting them back. Unwavering, she joined a second group and repeated the entire passage. "I didn't give up, and I said I wouldn't look back," she declared.
After traversing Honduras by bus for approximately 13 hours to Guatemala, and then to Chiapas, Mexico, her struggles intensified. She was abandoned without internet or communication for a week with 100 to 200 migrants. "We were left stranded for about a week with no communication, and I decided to escape," she recounted.
Facing Danger in Mexico
In Mexico, police chased her while she attempted to flee in a taxi. She hid in the bushes, traveled hidden on the floor of a private car, and faced danger when a truck driver took a dark path into the woods. "If you're taking me where there are men to do something bad, you won't make it alive," she warned, brandishing a fork at him.
Travel conditions were extreme. Initially, she traveled in a closed trailer with about 500 people for 12 hours, followed by 24 hours in a sealed container with only a single bucket for sanitation. "There were like five hundred of us in that trailer, and women and men were soiled. I can't even describe it," she said.
Surviving the Rio Grande
The most critical moment came at the Rio Grande. As she attempted to cross holding onto a rope with around 70 others, a large man ahead of her fell into the water due to the current. "When he fell, he dragged me under, and the rope choked me underwater," she described. Two men rescued her, removed her backpack, and revived her on the shore.
After surrendering to U.S. authorities, she was detained for only 24 hours before being released to head to Miami. She arrived with a sprained foot and visibly malnourished. "Forty-two days; I arrived weighing ninety pounds, vultures circling above, ready to eat me because I was so frail. I thought I wouldn't make it, but I did. It's a story to tell, but I went through hell," she concluded.
Yenisleidys' account highlights the Central American route taken by thousands of Cubans after Nicaragua abolished visa requirements in November 2021, a path that effectively closed in February 2026 when Managua reinstated the requirement, reducing Cuban migration through Honduras by over 70%.
Other Cuban women have shared similar accounts of migratory odysseys across multiple countries, documenting journeys through 13 nations, demonstrating that the mass exodus driven by economic crisis, power outages, and shortages on the island continues to yield stories of extreme survival.
Understanding the Cuban Migration Crisis
What triggered the increased migration of Cubans through Central America?
The increased migration was triggered by Nicaragua's decision to eliminate visa requirements for Cubans in November 2021, which opened a new migration route through Central America.
How did Nicaragua's policy change in 2026 affect Cuban migration?
In February 2026, Nicaragua reinstated visa requirements for Cubans, effectively closing the migration route and reducing the flow of Cuban migrants through Honduras by more than 70%.