QCOSTARICA – An article published on Cuba’s Granma newspaper on Friday, entitled “The Odyssey for the American Dream” addressed the situation of nearly 2,000 Cubans left stranded in Costa Rica, which have raised concern of countries of the region, currently trying to come up with a solution to the case.
A recent statement by the Cuban Foreign Ministry on the case explained that the island´s authorities are in contact with the governments involved in the event.
The coordinator of the Communication and Citizenry Department of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo called for coordinated actions and the inclusion of the issue on the agenda of an ongoing meeting of the heads of state and government of the Central American Integration System.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica´s Foreign Minister, Manuel Gonzalez, announced that a ministerial meeting on the case could take place on Tuesday, November 24.Foreign ministers the member states of the Central American Integration System (SICA), and Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Cuba are expected to attend.
The Cuba Crisis in Central America
According to the Cuban News Agency, the Cubans involved in the crisis in Central America left the island legally, but in their attempt to make it to the US they became the victims of traffickers and criminals that take advantage of persons who want to emigrate to the US from South, Central America and Mexico.
Last week, Costa Rica was able to dismantle a trafficking network operating in the country, moving Cubans and others from the southern border in Panama into Nicaragua, some moved directly, others with stays in San Jose.
The raids by Costa Rica authorities on a property in the northern part of Costa Rica, bordering Nicaragua and the arrest several people, including the leader of the ring, left Cubans stranded in the country.
After several days of protests, Costa Rica granted the Cubans a seven-day pass, a “salvo conducto” in Spanish, and passage to the northern border, on their route through Nicaragua.
But the government of Daniel Ortega took the action as an aggression, blaming Costa Rica for dumping its problems on them, stopped the Cubans by the use of the army and police forces.
The refusal by the Nicaragua government to give the Cubans passage forced Costa Rica to provide shelter until the situation can be resolved.
US official figures show that nearly 27,000 Cubans arrived in that country through the Mexican border during the first nine months of this year, 78% more than in similar period of 2014. Entries by sea also doubled with respect to last year up to some 7,000 arrivals.
The number of Cubans that arrived in US territory began to grow when Washington and Havana announced on December 17, 2014, the reestablishment of diplomatic relations.
Many Cubans consider that the days of the Cuban Adjustment Act (1966) are numbered in the new US-Cuba scenario, and they try to make it to the North before they miss their American Dream.
The Us, despite the opening of a new chapter in bilateral relations with Cuba, maintains its “dry-feet wet-feet” policy for Cubans.
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