Havana/A serious traffic accident that occurred on Monday afternoon in the state of Roraima, in northern Brazil, left two Cuban migrants dead and seven injured, including children, while they were trying to enter the South American country irregularly, according to the Federal Highway Police (PRF). 
The accident occurred on the BR-401 highway, near the municipality of Bonfim, border with Guyana, when a PRF patrol detected a Chevrolet Prisma vehicle with ten occupants—nine Cubans and one Brazilian—heading towards Boa Vista. Upon noticing the police presence, the driver made a U-turn and fled at high speed along the same road. 
According to the official reportthe chase included dangerous maneuvers and reckless overtaking, as well as a trip along the shoulder of the road. The vehicle finally entered a dirt road, where it lost control and overturned, remaining with its wheels up. When the police arrived at the scene, they found two of the Cuban migrants dead and the others seriously injured, including two children aged 3 and 8, as well as one person with minor injuries. 
The authorities have not revealed the identity of the fatal victims, but newspaper reports indicate that they are a 26-year-old woman and a 16-year-old teenager.
The authorities have not yet revealed the identity of the fatal victims, but local newspaper reports indicate that among the deceased is a 26-year-old woman and a 16-year-old teenager. Most of the injured were transferred to nearby medical centers, where they receive care. One of the occupiers informed the PRF that each Cuban paid $500 to enter Brazilian territory illegally.
The Police explained in their report that the accident occurred in the context of an attempt at illegal immigration to Brazil, a phenomenon that has gained strength in recent years on the country’s northern border, especially in Roraima, due to the growing flow of migrants from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. 
Although historically the migration crisis in the region has been mainly associated with Venezuelan refugees, the Covid-19 pandemic, the closure of legal crossings and the difficulties in obtaining documents have prompted migrants to try to enter through informal routes through trails near Bonfim and Pacaraima. In many cases, they resort to clandestine transportation networks, exposing themselves to dangerous conditions.
Many Cubans choose irregular routes in the hope of reaching other regions of the country in search of job opportunities and better living conditions.
Brazil does not maintain a formal reception program for Cuban migrants as it does for Venezuelan citizens, except for certain exceptional naturalization or reception mechanisms. Hence, many Cubans choose irregular routes in the hope of reaching other regions of the country in search of job opportunities and better living conditions. 
Organizations defending migrants and human rights have pointed out the vulnerability of those who cross the Brazilian borders without legal protection and the need for humanitarian mechanisms that reduce exposure to dangers such as the one that ended the lives of the two Cubans this Monday.
