Before leaving the “Pearl of the North”, Matagalpa, heading to the United States, Jessira Massiel Chavarría González he was 29 years old. She belonged to a family that she loved and that loved her, she was a teacher at the Eliseo Picado National Institute (INEP), and she came out of it after a dream ahead of her: to improve her quality of life and that of the her loved ones.
However, a cartel from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, assassinated her on December 27, 2022, ending her goals. Jessira’s family found out about the tragedy three months later.
From that moment, his relatives undertook a campaign to raise funds and with them pay the costs of repatriating his remains from Mexico to Nicaragua. “It was very difficult because it is expensive, exhausting, desperate, one comes to believe that the body is going to be lost and we will never have peace,” said one of the young woman’s relatives who preferred not to reveal her identity.
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Although the family said they did not have precise details about the repatriation process, they assured that anyone would have given up, “but thank God we all came together and we received support from many friends and acquaintances, from government institutions, commerce, companies, that was something very valuable,” he said.
The process and cost of a repatriation
Repatriation consists of moving the corpse of a person to their country of origin. It is easy to read, but a procedure must be followed that goes from being certain that they are the correct remains, to organizing the required documentation, complying with international health protocols, paying the costs and receiving the body in the country of the deceased, reported the organization Texas Nicaraguan Community.
The agency indicated that the first thing is to notify the authorities of the country where the victim died, followed by gathering the official documents that are required such as death certificates, permission to transport the body, the forensic opinion, documents of the deceased, if any, and contact the consulate abroad, who, in turn, will contact the funeral home that will do the repatriation work.
Dr. María Matthews, an expert on migration issues, assured that in the case of the costs to repatriate a corpse to Nicaragua, one not only faces its high costs. “The family is also subjected to the constant stress of not having the money on hand, trying to get it together and suffering during that time, because for most families, it’s almost impossible,” she said.
The expert stated that the costs will vary depending on the country and range from 4,000 to 10,000 dollars, in the worst of circumstances, also considering the time that the remains spend in a morgue while the process is being carried out and that it means more money. . In some countries, it may take anywhere from 30 days to three months. That is why it is important to seek support from the Nicaraguan consulate.
Expert advises cremating body
According to Dr. Matthews, one of the recommendations to Nicaraguan families to avoid the high costs of repatriation is to consider the option of cremating the body of their loved one.
“It is a faster, less expensive and less complicated process, but in our country there is almost no culture of cremating bodies and I assure you that out of every 10 people, only 1 or 2 would think about that possibility,” he said.
However, when a person dies in the Mexican area, the process can be faster, according to a volunteer worker from the Texas Nicaraguan Community organization. Family members can recognize the person in a videoconference with the Aztec prosecutors, and that is where the process begins, although he warns that “working with any funeral home is a risk because some are linked to the Mexican cartels, but there are many that are excellent and safe.” .
“For us, having gone through all that ordeal to have the body of our beloved Jessira is the goal achieved and the family, in the midst of pain, is satisfied,” said the relative of the young teacher.
“Thanks to those who helped us to make this walk less bitter,” he said and raised a prayer for her. The remains of the teacher already rest in the land where she was born and now she keeps it forever.
By United Voices
