Those who arrive as a family take turns going out to buy food, fan the children or inquire at the ticket office about the possibilities of boarding the next bus. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 22 April 2023 — More than a place with passengers, the Villanueva station, in Havana, looks like a refugee camp: people sitting on the floor, towels that in the early morning cover the bodies that lie in the corners, and the crying of babies who do not understand why they have been there for so many days. The fuel crisis has turned the country’s main transportation waiting room into a makeshift shelter.
After ten in the morning this Saturday, people milled around in front of the ticket office. The bus bound for the city of Sancti Spíritus was about to arrive, and it was hoped that it would have enough empty seats to take some passengers, who could barely breathe in the heavy and humid air. “Only ten passengers will be able to leave,” an employee announced.
“I’ve been here for three days,” says a woman who is waiting for a ticket to get to Holguín, a complicated journey due to the distance and the high demand for travel to the east of the country. “Here the most complicated thing, in addition to waiting, is the situation of the bathroom and getting something to eat. Even drinking a drop of water gets complicated: I can’t leave my place because I might miss my turn.”
Those who arrive as a family take turns going out to buy food, fan the children or inquire at the ticket office about the possibilities of boarding the next bus. On the outskirts, private trucks try to capitalize on the despair. At the door of one truck, in use for 70 years, the driver announces that he charges $83 per person to go to Sancti Spíritus, although the trip is no more than 224 miles.
Although Christmas is not approaching and Easter has passed, Villanueva experiences moments of the holiday hustle and bustle, when the desire to celebrate with family mobilizes thousands of Cubans to be transported to one side and the other of the Island. “If this is the case now, as Mother’s Day approaches, we will have to come with a fan,” predicts another traveler. In three weeks, on Sunday, May 14, every inch of ground at the waiting room could be occupied.
The president of the Vietnamese National Assembly, Vuong Dinh Hue, attended the inauguration of new investment projects in his country related to a factory of detergents for local consumption in the Mariel Special Development Zone, in Cuba. (AsambleaCuba/Twitter)
EFE (via 14ymedio), 21 April 2023 — Cuba and Vietnam signed four economic cooperation agreements this Thursday during a business forum in Havana with the presence of the president of the Vietnamese National Assembly, Vuong Dinh Hue.
The agreements cover the sectors of civil aviation, electric power, oil, as well as construction, marketing and production of construction materials.
The Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba, Ricardo Cabrisas, highlighted during the ceremony that in the complex context that the Island’s economy has developed in recent years, “Vietnam’s participation in various sectors has been and is important.”
Cabrisas, appointed two days ago as Minister of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment and co-president of the Cuba-Vietnam Intergovernmental Commission, pointed out the experience of cooperation and the numerous joint projects and plans underway that cover the main spheres of the Island’s economic and social life.
“Today Vietnam has become our second trading partner and the main capital investor in the Asian region,” he stressed. continue reading
He announced that new business interests have been identified, to be specified in the “very short term,” which impact areas with priority such as agri-food, renewable energies, tourism and construction, among others.
The Cuban deputy prime minister highlighted the “active” presence of Vietnamese businesspeople in the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM), a business center and merchant port created by the Cuban government to attract foreign capital.
On this day, the head of the Vietnamese National Assembly attended the inauguration of new investment projects from his country related to a detergent factory for local consumption and export, and a solar energy park in the strategic economic enclave located 28 miles west of Havana.
Representatives of Vietnamese companies from the sectors of energy, agricultural machinery, steel machinery, electronics, recycling, electromotive, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical equipment, fruit and aviation marketing, among others, participated in the bilateral business forum.
Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said in that context that there are “potentialities” to continue increasing cooperation with Vietnam on issues such as the control of inflation, new economic actors, rice production, polyculture, the planting of corn and the presence of companies from Vietnam in Cuba for wholesale and retail trade.
Since the beginning of his official visit to Cuba on April 19, the leader of the Vietnamese Parliament has met with President Miguel Díaz-Canel, former President Raúl Castro, his counterpart Esteban Lazo and other representatives of the Cuban Government.
Cuba and Vietnam maintain close political and economic ties that have been strengthened in recent times. In addition to the support and common positions in international organizations, companies from the Asian nation have increased their presence in the Island’s economy.
The commercial exchange is around 340 million dollars in recent years, according to official data.
Vietnam exports rice, coal, chemicals, textiles and electronic elements to Cuba, and imports mainly pharmaceutical products from the Island.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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A few hours later, over the fresh painting, the University Student Federation hung a banner and a gigantic Cuban flag. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Havana, 20 April 2023 — Just three days after a poster against the regime in El Vedado was attributed to the clandestine group known as El Nuevo Directorio (END), on Thursday someone wrote “No to the PCC” [Communist Party of Cuba] on the facade of the building located on Humboldt 7 Street, where several of the young assailants of the Presidential Palace were killed in 1957.
The sign was painted with large black letters on the ground floor of the property, in a state building under repair that has boards over the windows, near the plaque that commemorates the 1957 event.
On its Twitter account, the movement explained that the sign was a tribute to the members of the Student Directory, one of the organizations opposing Fulgencio Batista under the direction of José Antonio Echeverría, and that they wanted to remember the “massacre” that was carried out in that same place by the Batista police “with an action against the Castro dictatorship.”
In its publication, END said that on April 20, 1957, the young people Juan Pedro Carbó Serviá, Fructuoso Rodríguez Pérez, José Machado Rodríguez and Joe Westbrook Rosales “were intercepted” on Humboldt 7, where they had hidden after the assault on the Palace, and there they were “riddled with bullets, without weapons to defend themselves.”
‘No to the PCC’ reads a new sign from El Nuevo Directorio on the Humboldt 7 Building. (Youtube)
“Blood bathed the staircase of the building, where there was no compassion even at the request of the neighbors. The corpses were dragged into the street in a show of arrogance by Captain Estevan Ventura Novo, a famous torturer and murderer,” they said. continue reading
That event, the group explains, is a reminder of “how many young people have given their lives for the freedom of all” in Cuba, and they consider it a “fundamental” precedent for the struggles against “any dictatorship or tyranny that tries to impose itself on our people.”
Another photograph, shared on Thursday morning on the same Twitter account, showed that the sign had not yet been covered up by the political police.
Although it is a few miles from central places such as the Habana Libre and La Rampa, Humboldt Street is hardly ever used and is dark and not very busy at night.
Last Monday, El Nuevo Directorio painted a sign against the Communist Party at the entrance of the stadium of the University of Havana, on Ronda Street in El Vedado. As usual, they signed with the acronym END, which identifies the clandestine organization.
The message is the same as the one that appeared in the early morning of last March 23 a short distance away, in Aguirre Park. It was presumed to be by the dissident organization in a video disseminated on its social networks. In both cases, the sign was covered up by the police.
“Honrar, honra”: a los Mártires de la Masacre de Humboldt 7, los antecesores del Directorio Estudiantil, nuestro homenaje como mejor podemos honrarlos; con una acción contra la Dictadura Castrista #ABAJOLADICTADURACASTROCANELpic.twitter.com/war0zhT8O4
“Honor, honor: to the Martyrs of the Massacre of Humboldt 7, the ancestors of the Student Directory, our tribute as we can best honor them, with an action against the Castro Dictatorship.” #ABAJOLADICTADURACASTROCANEL—
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Bruno Rodríguez after the signing of the agreement with the EU, with the then European foreign ministers. (EFE/Olivier Hoslet/Archive)
EFE (via 14ymedio), Brussels, 20 April 2023 — The Political Dialogue and Cooperation agreement between the European Union and Cuba will continue to apply provisionally until it has been ratified by all EU countries. Lithuania is the only country that has rejected the treaty, community sources reported on Thursday.
“The current situation is that the Parliament of Lithuania has not ratified this agreement. It is the only member state of the 27 countries that has not formally done so. What this implies is that the agreement is being applied provisionally,” said the sources, asked about the situation of the first bilateral agreement between the EU and Cuba.
The EU confirmed that the agreement, signed in December 2016 and in force since November 1, 2017, will remain in force provisionally “unless Lithuania ratifies the agreement.”
This treaty meant the end of the so-called “common position” of the EU towards Cuba, the restrictive unilateral policy that the Union maintained towards Havana since 1996, and that linked all advances in the bilateral relationship to progress in democratization and human rights on the Island. continue reading
Asked if it believes that Cuba has fulfilled its obligations in terms of fundamental freedoms within the framework of the agreement, the EU stated that “one of the advantages” of that pact is that, “for the first time, we have the possibility of having a human rights agreement with Cuba.”
“We are using that tool to put on the table our concerns about human rights in Cuba, which are very well known,” the entity explained. In any case, it was stressed that “there is no simple yes or no in terms of whether Cuba has complied with human rights”
“What we have with the agreement is, for the first time, the possibility of engaging directly with Cuba and expressing our assessment of the situation in the country.”
This agreement provides a legal framework for the EU and Cuba to develop a conversation around political dialogue, cooperation, sectoral dialogue and trade cooperation.
Human rights is one of the areas on which the EU placed special emphasis when finalizing the agreement, and the two parties have launched a dialogue focused on human rights, for which they hold meetings periodically.
Specifically, the pact promotes cooperation in favor of sustainable development, democracy and human rights, as well as the possibility of finding shared solutions to global challenges through joint actions in multilateral forums.
The areas of common interest that can be addressed in the agreement include renewable energies, rural development, the environment, human rights, good management, security or job creation, among others.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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The native of Camagüey, Yosimar Cousín, will earn one million dollars per season with the Chicago White Sox. (Facebook/Rey Rivero)
14ymedio, Havana, 20 April 2023 — The Cuban Yosimar Cousín, who in 2021 thought about “not continuing to play baseball” because the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB) cut off a contract with the Mexican team Charros, signed this Wednesday with the Chicago White Sox. The agreement is “2,000,000 dollars for two years and he will have a guaranteed place on the club’s roster,” journalist Francys Romero confirmed on his social networks.
Romero, a Cuban baseball specialist, mentioned that the athlete, a native of Camagüey, could improve his salary based on his performance. If he stays in the starting lineup, in 2025 he would receive $1,200,000 per season, but if his level of play goes down, “he will get a contract for $625,000 in the U.S. Minor Leagues.”
The 25-year-old will begin his journey in the advanced Class-A and Double-A levels of the Windy City (Chicago) team. The intention is to see his progress, considering that he is a pitcher with six seasons in Cuban baseball and plenty of experience.
The reporter stressed that Cousín has received favorable comments from those who evaluate his performance, has sufficient potential to appear as a game starter and throws a fastball between 92 and 95 miles per hour. His best pitches, according to several experts, are the slider and the curve ball.
Cousín was deleted from the list of options for the ninth Mexican Charros in 2021, according to what sports director, Ray Padilla, told 14ymedio, because the FCB had him “punished” and he could not “go out or be loaned to any team,” although it was the same Federation that offered him as an option. continue reading
The player demanded an explanation, to which the managers responded by saying that he was “blocked” from leaving. “They have me signed,” he said on his social networks. This was the last straw. Days before, Yosimar Cousín along with Yunior Tur were excluded from the so-called “patriot team” that manager Eriel Sánchez made up for the Under-23 World Cup held in the state of Sonora (Mexico), which resulted in the worst ’bleeding’ in Cuban baseball with 12 players fleeing the team (and Cuba).
Cousín and Tour left the Island in 2022 and went to the Dominican Republic. While Yunior was hired in December by the Oakland Athletics, Yosimar trained for over a year seeking professional signing at the Yuan Pino Academy.
On the other hand, last Tuesday the nightmare ended for baseball player Yariel Rodríguez, who after his participation with Cuba in the World Classic, abandoned his contract with the Japanese team of the Chunichi Dragons and broke relations with the FCB. The Japanese team “dismissed” the native of Camagüey, so he is free to be hired by a foreign team.
Rodríguez had just received the shield that represents the Camagüey territory and a recognition from the Communist Party for finishing fourth with Team Asere, when he announced his intention to seek an opportunity in a Major League team.
In an attempt at sanction, the Cuban Baseball Federation appealed a clause of his contract and claimed the athlete owed 10 million dollars for “damages.” The official sports organization demanded the relevant “rights and responsibilities.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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“Fishermen say that there are not enough fish in development,” the official press reports. (Escambray)
14ymedio, Havana, 20 April 2023 — The empty nets at the Zaza dam, the largest reservoir in Cuba, have become a constant for fishermen, who warn that there are not enough fish for this year. The situation is reflected in the battered results of the Sancti Spíritus Fishing Company, which closed with a production of just 40% of the plan for the first quarter of 2023.
At the end of March, 291 tons of fish were processed of the 726 planned for the first three months of the year, according to an article in the provincial newspaper Escambray, which also warns that low production will not only affect the company’s workers, but also the “assortment” of this high-protein food on the table of Cuban families.
“The fishermen insist that there are not enough fish in development,” but the most serious thing, the provincial newspaper adds, is the accelerated reduction of the area of operations. The “tanned-skinned men” have to go to more distant places, exposing themselves to more dangerous conditions and strong winds to find the fish, which are still insufficient to meet the production quota.
Between 2018 and 2022, the Directorate of Aquaculture in Sancti Spíritus deposited a little more than 100 million ciprínid fry, a species of fresh water fish, 95% of them from the province itself. But there is another problem: there is no food to accelerate their growth.
Miriam Solano Valle, director of Aquaculture in the province, reminded the newspaper that it has also not been possible to clear the vegetation in the reservoir, which hinders both fish breeding and extraction. However, she said that “work has already begun” on the elimination of weeds thanks to a fuel supply, and, for the moment, they have managed to recover 33 acres. continue reading
Solano assumes that the fish are hidden in the undergrowth because extreme weather events have not occurred and the dam’s floodgates have not been opened.
Like almost all productive links on the Island, the fishing sector is facing a deep crisis of low production, in part because it does not have boats to work in international waters and it does not have flowing rivers that allow adequate extraction in fresh waters.
This year they are facing another problem: drought. This is the case of the Gramal reservoir, in the municipality of Manatí in Las Tunas Province, which is almost at the end of its useful life with just 18% of water available, the provincial press confirmed at the beginning of April.
An article in Periódico26 says that fishermen have not stopped their activities and extract a “significant amount” of tilapia, a species that is not currently produced but, thanks to its natural reproduction, competes with other varieties of demand in the market like sea bream or carp. For some, however, this type of fish is not attractive because of its earthy and moldy flavor.
Ángel Hidalgo Torres, head of the local fishing brigade, told the newspaper that in the municipality of Jesús Menéndez alone they extracted 96 tons of tilapia in March. This is not the case with the Colombia micro-dam, where the volume of water is at 10% of its capacity, while El Canario barely subsists with 6%. To make matters worse, Lavado 5 is almost dry, he said.
“In the coming days we will try to remove as many fish as possible, so that their survival is not affected by the oxygen deficit and poor water quality,” said the fisherman, who believes that there will be enough to offer 100 tons to families in Las Tunas.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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The US Coast Guard reiterated that Cuban rafters who try to reach Florida illegally will be returned to the Island. (Twitter/@USCGSoutheast)
14ymedio/EFE, Havana, April 20, 2023 – The United States Coast Guard deported 30 rafters to the Island this Thursday aboard the ship William Trump. The Coast Guard said on its social networks that they were intercepted offshore near the Bahamas earlier this week.
The US authorities reiterated that those who try to arrive by sea irregularly to southern Florida should desist from their attempts because they will be deported. Since October 1 of last year, the Coast Guard has thwarted the landing of more than 6,200 Cuban rafters and has returned 2,387 people to the Island in more than three months.
In the first week of April, the maritime agency repatriated 396 migrants of different nationalities intercepted on the high seas between March 31 and April 7.
At the beginning of 2023, the United States implemented a policy to welcome 30,000 monthly migrants from Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba and Nicaragua.
In parallel, the US has immediately expelled to Mexico the undocumented from those countries who try to cross the southern border in an irregular manner. The Government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, for its part, agreed to admit 30,000 migrants a month who are returned from U.S. territory. continue reading
This Thursday, the Cuban Ministry of the Interior reported that there have already been 3,238 Cubans returned by several countries this year. This figure doesn’t include the 30 people deported from Florida.
In the last two days, the Governments of the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas deported six and 44 Cubans, respectively, the report said.
In addition, it was pointed out that two of the returned Cubans were on probation for criminal penalties at the time of illegally leaving the Island. They were “placed at the disposal of the corresponding courts for the revocation of said benefit.”
Another of the migrants, the Ministry of the Interior explained, “was arrested for allegedly participating in “a criminal act that is being investigated by the police.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Hail in the courtyard of a house in Central Havana, this Thursday. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 10 April 2023 — A strong and atypical storm rained down hailstones on Havana in the early morning of this Thursday and caused flooding not only in several municipalities of the capital but also in the west of the Island.
For Lydia, who lives in Central Havana, the least of it was the large hailstones that woke her up and almost broke her windows. The water tanks on the roof of the building were directly above her bedroom, and they overflowed, taking away some precarious pipes that her neighbor had installed. All the water fell into her apartment, which was already in precarious condition.
“It was horrible. I opened the bathroom door to go in, and a waterfall landed on my head,” she tells this newspaper, while moving her electronic equipment to dry ground on the dining room table. She spent the night on a blanket on the floor.
It’s already noon, and the plumber the neighbor promised to send over is not at home because he’s working and still hasn’t arrived. “What am I going to do?” The woman is tearing her hair out. “I can’t go up there, I don’t know how to fix this mess.”
The worst, she fears, is that in the next storm, the walls, in which thick cracks are observed, may give way and the roof collapse. “This has no solution, it’s destroyed, it would have to be knocked down and rebuilt, but no matter how much we complain, the State does nothing.” continue reading
According to meteorologist Alejandro Adonis, an “isolated” storm cloud moved over Havana from the Straits of Florida “in an unusual trajectory from northwest to southeast” and “produced intense electrical activity, large hailstones and strong winds,” shortly before 5:30 in the morning.
The official press confirmed this assessment and said that the storm “produced the fall of abundant hail” of up to two inches in diameter in several municipalities, including Regla, Plaza de la Revolución, Centro Habana, San Miguel del Padrón and Old Havana.
In addition, there was strong lightning, and wind gusts of between 34 and 37 miles per hour were recorded at the Casablanca weather station. The early morning gusts caught many unprepared, as they didn’t wake up until the damage to windows and doors was evident. Some zinc tiles and water tank caps turned into veritable missiles in the dark.
In Sancti Spíritus, the Escambray newspaper published the case of the community of San Pedro, about 19 miles from Trinidad, where the storm caused the collapse of a dozen homes and an elementary school.
The authorities did not report injuries, but, the provincial newspaper says “talking with the neighbors we learned about the anguish experienced the day before in the face of strong winds and lightning.”
In addition, the newspaper warned that the amount of damage “may increase as reports from other nearby settlements come in.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Most of the buildings built under the concept of microbrigades were built in the years when the large Soviet subsidy allowed the Cuban state to pay for these projects. (Granma)
14ymedio, Havana, 20 April 2023 — The ninety-year-old Ramiro Valdés got angry during a meeting with leaders of Santiago de Cuba last week over the terrible state of housing in the province. The soldier, ratified this Wednesday as Deputy Prime Minister of the Island, “punched the table,” according to the local official newspaper, after unraveling the problems of the sector: overcrowding, building collapses, precarious buildings and illegal trafficking of materials.
“I can’t be everywhere,” complained Valdés, whose speeches and interventions do not usually appear in the official press, after calling on inspectors and managers to carry out greater vigilance of the situation.
The deputy prime minister took advantage of the meeting, of which only a summary was published in the official media this week, to blame those who sell construction materials at outrageous prices and also those who build “majestic houses.”
“It can’t be that a few build houses” and others neglect control of the market and then “nothing happens,” he said. Freeing the government from all responsibility, he pointed out that the State “creates” the housing plan, but that local management has not been up to the task. “If we don’t check and we allow the embezzlers to divert what little we have, the problem will continue,” he added.
The deputy prime minister said that they cannot be permissive with those who violate urban regulations either. The so-called llega y pon [“arrive and put down” makeshift housing] slums abound in the cities, towns and communities of Santiago de Cuba, triggering “new problems” that are “avoidable if the established way is done,” he added. continue reading
Santiago de Cuba is only a part of the extensive photography that shows the extremely precarious conditions of housing in Cuba: In the province there are 4,766 properties with dirt floors; 7,312 have been affected by climatic events; and the existence of 1,013 tenements has been confirmed.
Sierra Maestra describes the problem as the “’way of the cross’ of construction” and cites concrete examples of families who “take risks” to improve their housing conditions. Such is the case of Orlando, who since 2016 has been waiting for a state subsidy to get materials, or Mayté, who complains about her “mistreatment” by the authorities. The case of Sandy and Juan is also mentioned, two Cubans who have been trying for a decade to get a sack of cement in the informal market, which now costs 2,000 pesos [$83].
These “complaints” had bothered Valdés, who recalled that, in 1953, Fidel Castro promised to resolve the “housing tragedy.” Seventy years after those words, the official insists that housing conditions have been improved with the construction and delivery, since then, of 3,824,861 homes throughout the Island.
In addition, he insisted that it is time to resurrect the state microbrigade movement created by Castro in 1971, based on the idea of homeless workers building their own homes. The Government allocated land and supplied the materials, but eventually there were non-compliances and, as of 1990, the plan was scrapped.
Most of the buildings built under the concept of microbrigades were built in the years when the large Soviet subsidy allowed the Cuban state to pay for these projects. Many of the multi-family buildings of that period, with architectural models from Eastern Europe, have been harshly criticized for their ugly aesthetics and the little integration with the climate on the Island.
While the decisions remain on the table, thousands of Cuban families will take refuge this winter in makeshift houses or dark and poorly ventilated quarters. One of the problems that adds to the list is the shortage of cement, which stifles not only the housing sector but the entire economy, because it does not allow progress in the construction of key projects for the country’s industries.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavorov arrives in Havana the same night that President Díaz-Canel renews his mandate and the US embassy illuminates its facade with the colors of Ukraine. (Cubadebate/US)
14ymedio, Madrid, 20 April 2023 — The same night that Miguel Díaz-Canel again assumed the Cuban presidency, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov landed in Havana and will be the first foreign leader to be received by Díaz-Canel in this legislature. This coincidence, perhaps forced, reflects the current situation of the Island’s international relations, with Russia as a priority partner.
It was also the same night chosen by the US embassy in Havana to reiterate its support for Ukraine with blue and yellow lights at the top of its facade, and this was not accidental. “Tonight, the US Embassy in Havana lights up again with the colors of Ukraine to demonstrate our unwavering support for the Ukrainian people. Russia continues its brutal and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. We will continue to use the diplomatic and economic tools at our disposal to ensure that Russia’s malignant influence and brutal aggression are recognized everywhere,” the diplomatic headquarters said on its social networks.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry tweeted in Spanish: “In 1961, the people of Cuba heroically defended their sovereignty and independence, achieving a historic triumph by defeating American imperialism on the sands of Playa Girón*. We congratulate our Cuban friends on this significant date.”
The visit, according to the official press, will focus on promoting political, economic, educational and cultural cooperation. “The relations between Russia and Cuba are excellent. They have a high priority for both governments and are based on traditional bonds of friendship between peoples,” the newspaper Granma said, adding that the dialogue between the two nations “at the highest level has been valuable, friendly and aimed at promoting bilateral relations in all fields of interest and mutual benefit.”
Since Donald Trump, in 2017, put an end to the thaw with the United States and economic opportunities diminished for the Cuban regime, relations with Moscow have been closer. It was especially seen between 2018 and 2020, when in addition to travel — Russian tourism doubled — Moscow multiplied its investments on the Island, although many of them were canceled due to an attitude that Russia did not like. continue reading
In 2020 a railway collaboration was suspended due to “economic difficulties and quarantine restrictions on the Island,” according to Sergei Pávlov, director of the Russian state railway company, but the statements of other senior officials indicated that the mentality of the Cuban leaders was the great impediment for investments to come to fruition. Oleg Kucheriáviy, executive secretary of the Russian-Cuban Intergovernmental Trade Commission, told his country’s television that only 10 of 60 joint projects were being carried out and that the silence and procrastination of the island’s authorities had a lot to do with it.
The invasion of Ukraine has changed everything and has boosted relations. On this occasion, the interest of the Cuban side to have a powerful supplier of both energy and investments corresponds to the Russian interest of gaining influence in Latin America. With the premise of bringing together any potential enemy of the West and, in particular, the US, Moscow has once again turned on the flow of money.
The meetings of Boris Titov, president of the Cuba-Russia Business Council and a confidant of Vladimir Putin, with the Island’s authorities in recent months says it all.
Among the best-known results of those meetings are the creation of a joint venture of food, chemicals and other household items with the state-owned Cimex, the project of a hotel only for Russian customers, and the huge fuel increases from the Eurasian country to the Island, also the result of Díaz-Canel’s tour in December and his meeting with President Putin himself in Moscow.
Titov acknowledged in an interview with Sputnik last March that his team advises the Cuban authorities on an economic reform that involves giving more support to the private sector, and although he considered that there are problems in the regime’s mentality about profound changes (greater business flexibility and tax reductions, among others), many experts warn of the danger of following the steps that the USSR once took to become an oligarchy. In view of the SMEs that are multiplying on the Island, Moscow’s advice is being reflected, although it is suspected that many of those small and medium-sized entrepreneurs are friends of the regime and benefit from privileges.
Lavrov arrives in Havana after a meeting in Brazil with Luiz Inázio Lula da Silva, who has opted for a “Chinese” policy and proposed a peace plan to end the conflict in Ukraine. His position has been highly criticized by NATO, for standing aside in the face of the invasion of Russian imperialism and, despite this, it was the most critical of Moscow that Lavrov had to face. After leaving Brasilia, he finally arrived in the territory of unconditional friends. Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, much more economically dependent than Brazil, have seamlessly supported Russia since the war began and not only by omission but by action, which is reflected in the United Nations votes on official pro-Russian propaganda.
In Nicaragua, Lavrov was satisfied with the support of Daniel Ortega, who has recently advocated for its incorporation as an observer country in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) and in the Central American Integration System (Sica).
“We addressed many areas of mutual interest, such as economic issues and also cooperation within the framework of the intergovernmental commission,” Lavrov added. Those issues range from healthcare to cars, fertilizers, food production and transport, but undoubtedly what really mattered to the Russian side was diplomacy.
“All this helps to create in Latin America a powerful center and a pillar in the new world that is being formed,” Lavrov said. According to him, the countries of the West, mainly the United States, “try to proliferate their hegemony and their influence in conflicts, such as in Ukraine or in the Asian-Pacific region.”
“We, with our Nicaraguan supporters, are going to fight against these trends and prevent these acts,” he said.
Russia’s petition to join Sica is in process, as is that of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia, but a great division is expected, since countries such as Costa Rica and Guatemala oppose it.
*Translator’s note: Playa Girón is referred to as “The Bay of Pigs” by the United States.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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In Cuba, long lines of vehicles are waiting their turn in the service stations all over the country. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Elías Amor Bravo, Economist, 19 April 2023 — An activity as simple in other countries as arriving in a vehicle to a gas station and filling the tank has become another headache for Cubans who have the privilege of access to cars or any other means of transport. It is no longer just the absence of food in the bodegas or the power outages that paralyze activity. Now it’s the scarcity of gasoline and diesel, and the situation has been going on for a long time.
The minister responsible for the chaos, who is the head of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, blames the fuel suppliers who “have not been able to comply with the commitments they had with Cuba because of the economic and energy situation in the world. In addition, there are problems with the supplies needed to produce it.” And the truth is that neither of these excuses is true.
Cubans should know that the current economic situation worldwide is not causing deficiencies in fuel supplies in any country in the world. There is no global energy crisis now that the markets have normalized after Díaz-Canel’s friend invaded Ukraine, and this argument doesn’t make sense. Neither does the unreal image of a blockade of oil tankers that want to reach the Island.
All that is false and an insult to people’s intelligence. In reality, countries are intact and have even increased their oil reserves so as not to lack black gold and meet the growing needs of the post-pandemic. At the same time, there has been a notable acceleration of investments in renewable energies to reduce dependence on oil.
The lack of fuel and unstable supplies are a consequence of the Cuban regime’s behavior, especially its policy of not paying its debts. The 94-page judgment of Judge Cockerrill in London made it clear that Cuba doesn’t pay what it owes and that there will be consequences. One of them is the lack of fuel. To be able to buy oil in world markets at international prices, a country must to be up to date on its debt and have a normal payment schedule. Neither of these conditions is met by the Island. continue reading
International prices are unaffordable for the regime as a result of the shortage of foreign exchange caused by economic activities that do not generate the necessary currencies to formalize these purchases. Commercial credit is unfeasible, and even more so after the judgment of the London trial. Therefore, the regime resorts to donations or barter at subsidized prices, which are practices that, at the moment, cannot be assumed by the main producers, even by friends like Venezuela, which is positioned on world markets to take advantage of the favorable situation. Other producers, such as Algeria or Libya, look the other way.
In spite of all this, the Cuban communists have not been able to foresee a scenario that had been perceptible for months. All governments assume the preparation of a secure technical oil reserve, which could last between three and six months to face specific crises. The competent ministry is responsible for these actions. In the Cuban case, it is easier to blame others than to take responsibility. And that’s why the minister announces what the communists have practiced for more than six decades: the rationing of gasoline and diesel, with the now-known results of lines at gas stations, desperation and loss with downtime for workers. A disaster and chaos.
In addition, the minister assumes that an eventual improvement in supplies in the short term does not mean that the levels of the past will be recovered, but that we must prepare for the worst, because the fuel shortage will not be easily resolved. And the solution is to take out the little fuel that remains in a partially reduced way so as not to stay at zero, but with the known negative effects for the population in essential services like transport. As in the ‘Special Period’ in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, “alternative” animal-powered vehicles may return to the streets, although some Cubans are pessimistic about this. There is also no food for the horses, so they lack energy.
So, while the minister of the branch and other leaders spend their time blaming the U.S. ‘blockade’ [i.e. the embargo] for the fuel crisis, someone has to think about what to do. The margins are reduced because the main supplier of oil to Cuba, Venezuela, already began in the second half of 2019 to reduce shipments to the Island, and that was decisive enough for the Cuban economy to experience a recession in the same period, starting its free fall in 2020 and then in 2021. Without oil those countries that still maintain a high dependence on non-renewable energy are not able to produce, and the 8.3 million tons of fossil fuel that Cuba consumes each year jeopardizes its growth, since only 39% is obtained from national production.
The regime announces restrictions and the rationing of fuel amid diminished capacity; it is not known how long it will last. Domestic fuel will also falter in supply since, as the minister pointed out, “there is not enough,” while some provinces “are left with one day of reserve, others have two and the eastern region ran out of fuel in the Cupet tanks of our bases.” Yet they remain calm. The lack of domestic fuel will join the blackouts that have already been occurring for some time, and a perfect storm is approaching, which may end with a collapse of the system, ending the patience of all Cubans.
The authorities say that they have done the impossible to alleviate the situation and at all times have kept the population informed, but this is not true. On the one hand, by not paying debts on time, they are having these problems now. No one will say it and much less recognize it, but debts that have been unpaid for decades act like a sword of Damocles at the present time. The information reaches the population too late, and nothing can be done, and the “sectoral and territorial priorities” established by the regime aggravate the people even more.
The scenario is not favorable. The weakened Cuban economy will be even more so with the lack of fuel, and the supply will be lower, which will increase prices and cause more inflation. The trickle of fuel, prioritizing certain activities and not others, can end up generating distortions in relative prices and even, in the extreme, in informal practices that can emerge if the situation continues over time, as all indicators confirm. It only occurs to the regime to increase surveillance, controls and repression by limiting the number of gas stations that will give “vital” services to the population and by limiting the amount of fuel to be marketed. It’s bad, and very difficult times are coming.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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The National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has registered more than 4,000 complaints of human rights violations of migrants in their transit through Mexico. (Captura)
14ymedio, Ángel Salinas, Mexico, 31 March 2023 — Yamilé, a Cuban woman, was illegally detained for five days at the Acayucan station of the National Institute of Migration (INM), in the Mexican state of Veracruz, and her husband José, for 12 days. “Once they admit you, they take away your papers and your cell phone. It’s hell. There is harassment by the agents, mistreatment, extortion. They sell you a sanitary pad for 25 pesos ($1), toilet paper for 35 pesos,” this habanera tells 14ymedio, adding that they transported the couple to the border with Guatemala.
“Human rights do not exist. A woman with asthma had her medicines withheld until she paid 500 pesos,” she said. They told Yamilé’s husband to continue to Tijuana to be processed by Customs and Border Patrol because the application process was overwhelmed. “Keep going, because if you go back to Tapachula they can put you in jail,” they warned him.
“Those who arrive to help you are coyotes, who tell you that they are lawyers. They asked us for $1,000 each to release us; a group of seven Colombians, $2,700; and a Venezuelan and her daughter, $1,300,” she says.
Yamilé says that the migrants in Acayucan are overcrowded because every day people arrive from Guatemala, Venezuela, some Cubans and Haitians. “There are people who have been there for 25 days and don’t know if they are going to be returned to their country. You are imprisoned like a criminal.” Before leaving the immigration station, they threatened to deport her if she came back. “I’m already registered.”
The editorial staff of 14ymedio has received complaints of Cubans who have been imprisoned in the immigration centers of Acayucan (Veracruz), Siglo XXI (Tapachula) and Las Agujas (Mexico City). Relatives of Luis Ángel Sánchez said that he spent several days in the capital. The agents accused him of having entered illegally, even when he had a safe-conduct pass and humanitarian parole from the United States. continue reading
A law firm contacted Sánchez’s relatives and offered to release him in exchange for $5,000. After several days, he was released and is now with his family in the United States. Migration stations have made extortion the bargaining chip so that Cubans can move forward on their journey through Mexico.
The human rights violations of migrants in transit through Mexico to the United States have been duly recorded in 4,424 complaints received by the CNDH against the INM between 2020 and 2022, but only 48 recommendations were issued.
“From 2018 to 2023, which corresponds to the Government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, most of the National Security posts have been militarized, including the migration centers,” said migrant advocate Jose Luis Pérez Jiménez.
In the case of the 39 migrants who died in the fire at the provisional stay center in Ciudad Juárez, attorney Pérez Jiménez says: “Migration was fully responsible not only for the fires in the center, but also for the overcrowding, the systematic violation of the rights of those housed and the torture and mistreatment suffered by migrants at the hands of police officers and immigration agents.”
Migration has become dehumanized, said the migrant ombudsman, and this is because the Government of López Obrador has “militarized” the detention centers for foreigners who enter illegally.
The military is not prepared, and “their treatment of migrants is not the most ideal,” Pérez Jiménez explained. “We see it in Mexico City at the Las Agujas station, controlled by José Luis Valenzuela, a soldier with a bad reputation. Another case took place in Tapachula, which until recently was controlled by General Aristeo Taboada. The captain of the Navy, Jorge Alejandro Palau Hernández, is in Acayican. These are examples of only three migrartion centers, but obviously almost all of them have been militarized by López Obrador.”
Palau Hernández was removed from his position as director of the Siglo XXI immigration station, in Tapachula, after a video was released in which he could be seen beating a migrant. He was transferred to Las Agujas, where several Cubans have been detained, from whom they tried to extort money.
Importante que #INAMI aclare si es verdad esta información 👇🏻
Jorge Alejandro Palau Hernández, quien era director de la Estación Migratoria Siglo 21, de Tapachula, #Chiapas, y fue separado de su cargo tras la golpiza a un #migrante, ahora es jefe de la estación migratoria #CDMX. pic.twitter.com/QaCQFH830S
Important for #INAMI to clarify if this information is true
Jorge Alejandro Palau Hernández, who was director of the Siglo 21 Migration Station, in Tapachula, #Chiapas, and was removed from his position after the beating of a #migrant, is now head of the #CDMX immigration station. pic.twitter.com/QaCQFH830S — Eunice Rendón (@EuniceRendon) September 25, 2021
During his usual morning conference this Friday, López Obrador said: “I confess, the issue of the 39 deceased migrants has hurt me a lot, it has hurt me (…) it moved me, it broke my soul.” The Mexican president announced a reform within the INM and the formation of an external council so that the human rights of people in transit are not violated, for which he has the collaboration of Father Alejandro Solalinde.
More than a reform of the INM, Jose Luis Pérez Jiménez says that there is an urgent need for reform to the Migration Law, so that “the accommodation for a migrant is not understood by the INM as a pretrial detention. As long as this is not specified, there will continue to be abuses by migration agents.”
“It is also necessary to repeal Article 111 Part 5 of the Migration Law,” says the lawyer, because currently the agents use it to “pressure migrants to leave the shelters.” When they are released they give them “a resolution that, most of the time, is a permit for them to leave the country in 20 days, not so they can go to the border with the United States, and they don’t tell them that.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
The line for passport and criminal record requests at the Camajuaní identity card offices. (Yankiel Gutiérrez Faife/14ymedio)
14ymedio, Yankiel Gutiérrez Faife, Camajuaní, 17 April 2023 — At the doors of the Camajuaní Collective Law Firm, located on Agramonte Street, between Maceo and General Naya, Janet, an elementary school teacher in Santa Clara, has just been given the run around after four months of waiting. “Yesterday was the last day we could get our documents stamped as legal. No more will be done until further notice,” one of the institution’s lawyers informed her.
After almost half a year of struggle with the institutions, Janet had managed to correct the errors in a document where her parents’ name was misspelled, and she was able to obtain three birth registrations and a marriage certificate. Having overcome the exhaustion of acquiring those papers, the law firm’s refusal portends more waiting in line.
Processing and legalizing documents is one of the most overwhelming processes faced by Cubans. After a “way of the cross” of bribes, going back and forth and long lines, nothing guarantees that a birth registration or a university degree will be ready in time to take a trip or enroll in a foreign university. From the purchase of a stamp to the signature of an official, there is only one constant: the desperation to get out of the bureaucratic labyrinth.
International Legal Consultancy on Colón Street, in Santa Clara. (Yankiel Gutiérrez Faife/14ymedio)
The situation is well known in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the institution that usually puts the decisive stamp on a document for it to be valid beyond Cuban borders. Unperturbed, the director of Consular Affairs, Ernesto Soberón, admitted the slowdown of all procedures and insisted that his office was taking “the necessary measures to respond to the increase in demand for service.” But, in reality, he didn’t promise anything. continue reading
The helplessness of Cubans lining up in front of law firms, civil registries and consultancies is the real drama. Aware — some more than others — of how bogged down the process has become, they look for alternatives and perfect several “tricks” to lighten the wait. But not everyone has the resources or the ability to overcome obstacles with good luck.
“In Santa Clara,” explains the lawyer of the Camajuaní Collective Law Firm, “there are also thousands of documents on the waiting list to be sent to the Foreign Ministry. Until we overcome this delay, we will not restart the service,” she affirmed. However, another of the lawyers had a recommendation: “Go early with your identity card to the Legal Consultancy of Santa Clara. Very early,” she insisted, “because turns in line are very limited, and if you don’t have an appointment before April 3, the doors will be closed until May.”
At five in the morning, Janet left her house, managed to catch a ride and went to the office on downtown Colón Street in Santa Clara. Her hopes were dashed as soon as it got light, when she saw that the line was already around the block, most people waiting to legalize documents. The lawyers started working at eight and, fortunately, Janet managed to get a turn.
“When I manage to deliver the papers and sign the contract to legalize my documents, I will feel relieved,” she says, knowing that she has only taken the first of many steps. “We have to live day by day so we don’t end up crazy.”
Once the document is deposited in the consultancy, the mechanism is put back in motion. The papers of the lucky ones who have signed their contracts will begin a rugged trip to Havana and, if everything is in order, the documents will be returned to the provinces months later. Even after suffering this delay, those who get their documents feel that the wait has had results.
Everything is very different when the lawyers themselves fail to comply with the clauses of the legalization contract, which theoretically obliges them not to delay the response to clients for more than 45 days. The actual waiting period, which reaches six months — often the documents have already expired after the wait — far exceeds what is stipulated.
A few weeks ago, the director of the Legal Consultancy went to the line herself and announced that it would no longer be possible to make an appointment in person. “At the end of April we will make the Ticket application available to users for all reservations,” she announced.
Several of the customers in line confronted the official with a barrage of additional questions: “Why don’t the collective law firms of the municipalities receive and legalize the documents? How can they change the process without official notice? Why do they want to concentrate all the work here if they don’t have the necessary conditions?”
As if it were an article of faith, the director of the Consultancy referred to Soberón’s announcement, which “suggested” that the rules of the game had changed due to the increase, by 16%, in the demand for procedures in the Embassy compared to 2022. “It’s not in our hands,” was the justification. “We don’t move the documents; we only contract for the services.”
The department headed by Soberón allegedly accepts about 1,000 documents a day, out of some 3,000 that they receive on average. The number of pending papers is overwhelming, explains one of the Consultancy workers, and the slow pace is aggravated because, in reality, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to accept the same number as before, despite the official statements.
“Sometimes what takes the most time is the transfer of documents from the provinces to Havana, more difficult now due to the fuel crisis,” explains Fredy, a self-employed man from Santa Clara. “Customers themselves have recommended looking for ways to speed up the process, to ’decentralize’ to the eastern and central areas of the Island.”
The most viable solution so far is the one that seems least practical: traveling to Havana. Both Janet and Fredy have received the advice to rent a car and register on the waiting list of International Consultants and Lawyers, the International Legal Consulting or at Claim, a company dedicated to the protection of intellectual property that also legalizes procedures. You can also go to a Collective Law Firm in the capital or to Transconsul.
Civil Registry of Camajuaní. (Yankiel Gutiérrez Faife/ 14ymedio)
That’s what Claudia, a 24-year-old from Villa Clara, did, who was told to take her documents for legalization to the Embassy of Spain in Havana. “I sent them for legalization in January, and I’m still waiting. In order not to miss the appointment at the Embassy, I had to request proof of my parents’ marriage, get an appointment through a friend of my uncle’s and go to Havana to legalize the documents with Transconsul. It was a little faster there, 50 days or so,” she calculates.
In addition to the travel costs — in most of these institutions you have to go in person — each center has its own rules and peculiarities. Even in Havana there are long lines, the applications don’t work well and the phones are always busy.
“In reality, the law firms there are at the level of those in the province,” denounces Amelia, skeptical of the “technique” of traveling to the capital. “I had to get my daughter’s birth certificate. Every week I send my uncle who lives in the capital to ask about the procedure. They tell him that they will call when it’s ready and that he has to wait.”
One of the most frequent exits is the illegal way. Dubiel, a 23-year-old man from Santa Clara, who tried several times to solve his problem with an appointment at Claim, hired a “turn seller.” The price was 5,000 pesos [$208], to which was added the payment of the car trip, about 22,000 additional pesos [$917].
“My family in the United States sent me dollars. I sold them on the street, and that’s how I was able to pay for the trip. I was in a hurry and couldn’t afford to spend time with the law firms in Villa Clara,” he explains. The contact for the person who “facilitated” the appointment was found in a Facebook group.
Others offer, in private mail, the legalization of the document within 30 days, provided that 50 euros are paid for each procedure, in addition to a stamp of 500 pesos [$21]. “Apparently, it’s a business with the foreign officials themselves,” says Dubiel.
It is expected that digital processing, through state applications, will contribute to eliminating the “cluttering” of documents, but in reality it has complicated the picture. “Due to the lack of stamps, the customer can pay the tax on the document in cash or through an e-commerce platform. If the physical stamp is brought, we will send it along with the document. Otherwise, the amount can be paid digitally. There is no problem,” says another of the lawyers of the Santa Clara Consultancy.
With so many obstacles and in the face of a migratory exodus that has not ceased for months, the discomfort is growing. “After so much exhaustion standing in line at the civil registries, there are people who have documents from December and January that the lawyers won’t even look at. That’s why they have to pay, and it’s not cheap at all; it’s disrespectful,” says Maribel, a housewife from Santa Clara who is determined to get Spanish citizenship through the Law of Democratic Memory.
“If they really wanted to end this situation, they would open new branches for legalization services in the provinces,” she says, rejecting Soberón’s claims. “It’s no secret to anyone that people are now desperate.”
Translated by Regina Anavy
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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
‘Sadly we have high demand and very little availability of vehicles because of the lack of fuel.” (EFE)
14ymedio, Natalia López Moya, Havana, 17 April 2023 — The fuel crisis in Cuba is far from over and is reflected not only in the empty city streets but also in the unpayable prices of private transport.
“Unfortunately we have a high demand and little availability of vehicles due to lack of fuel,” said a highly respected agency representative in Havana this Sunday, excusing the cost. “We have only been able to locate one driver who can do the service but he charges 1,000 pesos [$42].
Maria, who lives in Nuevo Vedado, had called them. She had just been granted the United States visa for family reunification on behalf of her son and needed a ride early this Monday from her home to the Manuel Fajardo hospital, where she would collect the results of the medical check-up necessary for the consular interview at the embassy. A trip of less than two miles.
“I’ve been using them for months because a friend recommended them to me. They gave her a consular appointment a day after the passage of Hurricane Ian, when the city was full of branches and several blocked streets,” the woman explains to this newspaper to demonstrate the seriousness of the company.
This Sunday morning, she was informed that the service would cost 600 pesos [$25], which she accepted. “But the hours passed and they didn’t send me the make of the car and the name of the driver, as they always do,” María continues, “so I contacted them again in the afternoon.” It was then that they told her that the price would be a thousand pesos. “All that in the same municipality of Plaza de la Revolución; that is, that price for a very short stretch, because the rest of the road was going to be done on foot.” She had to say yes, although the price had almost doubled in a few hours, “because I couldn’t walk with my passport early in the morning given the lack of security.” continue reading
Another consequence of the gasoline shortage is being suffered by messaging platforms, such as Mandao. An employee of this company tells 14ymedio that at the moment only those who have a bicycle or an electric motorcycle are working on delivery. The young man, who has a bicycle, explains that his daily services have multiplied: “Before we were the least valued because at the pace of a pedal everything goes a little slower, and many businesses did not want us to take care of their deliveries. But now that there is no gasoline they have realized that our fuel is human, and we don’t have to buy it at gas stations.”
Of course, the law of supply and demand is not forgiving and, thus, the bicitaxis have also raised their costs. “All prices go up,” complained a customer who refused a service on Monday. “In that, the revolution is advancing.”
On Friday, President Miguel Díaz-Canel tried to offer explanations for the lack of fuel but, as on other occasions, he only pointed to scapegoats. “The countries that have certain commitments with us to supply us with gasoline from the agreements we have are also experiencing a complex energy situation,” he said in a meeting in Santa Clara with provincial leaders of the Party.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
The detained migrants were checked by Red Cross paramedics. (Facebook/Red Cross)
14ymedio, Mexico, 17 April 2023 — The Yucatan State Police arrested 241 migrants between Friday and Saturday, including a group of seven Cubans who were traveling along with 155 other people in two trucks. Among the nationals of the Island is “a family with a minor” who “asked not to be separated, but that now depends on the National Institute of Migration (INM),” an officer identified as Darío told 14ymedio.
The agency has received alerts about the flow of migrants since the middle of last month, said the uniformed man, who explained that this made it possible to locate two groups, one of 155 and one more with 86 undocumented persons who were detected “thanks to drones flying over a garbage dump.”
The Cubans are now in the INM facilities in Yucatan. “These people will not be deported,” Darío stressed, but they will be returned to the border with Guatemala “when Migration defines their situation.” According to him, the migrants “receive a 20-day residence permit to leave the country, but what they do is continue towards the United States border.”
The detention of the Cubans took place at a checkpoint located on the road from Mérida to Campeche. “At the time of the review, seven of the people traveling presented regular stay permits and were released; the rest were handed over to the INM. The drivers were arrested.” continue reading
The officer said that these migrants planned to reach Campeche and from there “cross Veracruz until they reach Tamaulipas. It’s what we know as the Gulf of Mexico route.” These arrests are not part of the routes being investigated by the Mexican Prosecutor’s Office, which so far has not offered results.
In addition to the seven Cubans arrested, there are 67 from Guatemala, 45 from India, nine from Brazil and the Dominican Republic, seven from Honduras, six from Vietnam and five from El Salvador.
A group of migrants were trying to reach Campeche when they were located and detained. (Facebook)
Of the 86 migrants arrested in the municipal garbage dump of Seyé, a town of 10,000 inhabitants that supports its local economy by leasing hostels and houses to tourists, the officer mentioned that “the coyotes who brought them abandoned them.”
A first group with 40 people from India, 15 from Guatemala and one from El Salvador “was helped by residents, who notified the authorities.” According to the data offered, “they paid between 300 and 600 pesos to be taken on an alternate route to Campeche, but on the way the coyotes abandoned them.”
The police used drones to locate the rest of the migrants who were scattered on the mountain. “There are seven children and a pregnant woman in the group. Everyone was given medical assistance, and after that they were handed over to Migration.”
According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, last year 444,439 migrants were arrested for illegal entry into Mexico, of whom 42,667 were Cubans. As of February, 17,023 Island nationals entered Mexico with documents.
Meanwhile, the Mexican Refugee Assistance Commission reported that 2,596 Cubans have applied for asylum.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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COLLABORATE WITH OUR WORK: The 14ymedio team is committed to practicing serious journalism that reflects Cuba’s reality in all its depth. Thank you for joining us on this long journey. We invite you to continue supporting us by becoming a member of 14ymedio now. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
14ymedio, Juan Diego Rodríguez, Havana, 22 April 2023 — More than a place with passengers, the Villanueva station, in Havana, looks like a refugee camp: people sitting on the floor, towels that in the early morning cover the bodies that lie in the corners, and the crying of babies who do not understand why they have been there for so many days. The fuel crisis has turned the country’s main transportation waiting room into a makeshift shelter.
