Blaze Renders Nearly 40 Cuban Migrants Homeless in Guyana

Close to 40 Cuban migrants found themselves homeless last Monday following a devastating fire that ravaged the upper floor of a rental building in Georgetown, Guyana. The migrants had been living there under cramped conditions.

The blaze erupted shortly after 9:00 a.m. in a property located at Lot 216 South Road in the Lacytown neighborhood, as reported by Guyana Times and iNews Guyana.

Despite the complete destruction of the building's upper level, all residents, including women and children, managed to escape unharmed.

Eyewitness Accounts of the Fire

Witnesses noted that the fire ignited when several electrical wires near the ceiling began to emit smoke before bursting into flames.

The two-story structure, made of wood and concrete, housed a car and auto parts business on the ground floor, while the upper floor was divided into 11 or 12 rooms occupied by Cuban and Venezuelan immigrants.

With an average of four people per room, approximately 40 individuals were residing in the building.

Yumiliisi Peres, one of the tenants, recounted that she was in the shower when she heard alarmed cries.

“The fire started outside... Then I heard them shouting: ‘Fire! Run, run!’” she said.

Peres explained that she struggled to open the bathroom door before managing to escape.

Community Efforts and Emergency Response

Another resident shared that a woman carrying a child was momentarily trapped, but neighbors rescued her before the flames reached the residence.

The Guyana Fire Service reported arriving on the scene to find the second level fully engulfed in flames, with nearby properties at risk.

“Thanks to a swift and coordinated response, the fire was successfully contained to the upper floor, preventing it from spreading to adjacent properties,” the agency stated.

The upper floor was completely destroyed, while the business on the ground floor sustained partial damage.

Ongoing Investigation and Broader Context

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.

This incident occurs amid a significant rise in Cuban migration to Guyana, fueled by the South American nation's oil boom.

According to data cited by Bloomberg, Guyana granted legal status to 135,000 Cubans in 2024, a stark increase from just 800 in 2020, highlighting the rapid growth of this migratory trend.

However, many migrants endure precarious living conditions. Earlier this year, authorities inspected another Georgetown building where 77 Cubans were residing during an Anti-Trafficking Unit operation, though no illegal activities were discovered.

The fire adds to other recent tragedies affecting the Cuban community in Guyana. On July 14, a 25-year-old Cuban died after being struck by a high-pressure hose in a workplace accident in Providence. In May, another young Cuban, aged 23, was shot dead while working in the Queenstown neighborhood of Georgetown.