Council on Foreign Relations(@CFR_org):Cuba's challenges are well known: an authoritarian government unwilling to undertake deep reform, an unproductive economy, and the constant pressure of U.S. sanctions, expert @WillGFreeman notes. But another crisis has drawn less attention: the largest outflow of people in Cuba's history. Up to a quarter of the population has left since 2020, according to independent experts. “This unprecedented exodus has few modern parallels outside active war zones," Freeman writes. Freeman spoke to people in Cuba, as well as Cubans displaced across the world, to understand what has driven this once-in-a-generation outflow—and what it means for the island's future. Read more:

2026.09.30 14:00

Cuba's challenges are well known: an authoritarian government unwilling to undertake deep reform, an unproductive economy, and the constant pressure of U.S. sanctions, expert @WillGFreeman notes. But another crisis has drawn less attention: the largest outflow of people in Cuba's history. Up to a quarter of the population has left since 2020, according to independent experts. “This unprecedented exodus has few modern parallels outside active war zones," Freeman writes. Freeman spoke to people in Cuba, as well as Cubans displaced across the world, to understand what has driven this once-in-a-generation outflow—and what it means for the island's future. Read more: