Yosvany Hernández left the island five months ago along with 13 other Cubans, including several children. This 24-year-old rafter told the news of ADN 40 that after “a journey of 25 days, the last five spent without eating, they were rescued on the high seas by fishermen from Yucatan.”
The economic crisis, the blackouts, the shortage of medicines, the lack of freedoms and the repressive acts pushed these rafters to gather “200,000 Cuban pesos to prepare the engine, another 60,000 for the wood of the raft and 14,000 more for the lace.” . The objective of these people was to disembark in six or seven days at some point in Cancun or Playa del Carmen, but the machine was damaged and they were left adrift.
“We stayed with the candle,” says this native of Ciénaga de Zapata, in Matanzas. “The air carried us from one side to the other.” The complicated days began on the 16th, “without an engine, a northerly came in and the waves were big, for two days we couldn’t sleep.” Then food began to be scarce, “for five days I did not eat”, what there was, he affirms, was given to the children.
Hernández found an opportunity to establish himself in Mexico. After carrying out various procedures, he obtained the documents that allowed him to look for a job. He is currently part of the security team in a plaza in Cancun. His family asks him not to return. “I like Cancun because it gives us opportunities. Mexico is a free country, you can express your political ideas. In Cuba they don’t allow us, when you do, they repress you.”
“We stayed with the candle,” says this native of Ciénaga de Zapata, in Matanzas. “The air carried us from one side to the other.” The complicated days began on the 16th
Of his companions, he prefers not to speak, the majority continued towards the border with the United States. The journey of these Cubans confirms the route that many use to reach Mexico with the aim of emigrating to the US. The Attorney General’s Office (FGR) indicated last April that investigated the arrivals by land and sea of Cubansbut still no results.
This newspaper has documented the illegal landing of various groups on the island, mainly in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior, last year 444,439 migrants were detained for illegal entry into Mexico, 42,667 of them were Cubans. Until February, there is a record of 17,023 island nationals who entered with documents.
In February of last year, the authorities of the states of Yucatan and Quintana Roo were warned by the National Institute of Migration (INM) of the arrival of Cuban rafters in the Mexican Caribbean.
According to INM figures, the state of Quintana Roo has become a route for the illegal entry of Cubans in recent years. Between October and December 2021, 29 rafters who arrived on Isla Mujeres were detained. Of 60 Cubans detained that same year, 45 were deported and 15 received legal advice to obtain refuge.
________________________
Collaborate with our work:
The team of 14ymedio He is committed to doing serious journalism that reflects the reality of deep Cuba. Thank you for accompanying us on this long road. We invite you to continue supporting us, but this time becoming a member of our newspaper. Together we can continue transforming journalism in Cuba.
