The Guatemalan Migration Institute returned 50 Cubans to Honduras and two Hondurans were detained this Monday while they were being transferred in three boats to the United States. The expulsion of the migrants was due to “failure to comply with the migratory and health requirements,” according to a statement.
Migration explained that every Cuban to enter Guatemala must present “a type C consulted visa, a valid passport and a PCR test for covid-19 or a complete vaccination certificate,” which none of the detainees carried.
The migrants were intercepted on the Guatemalan coast, during their journey through the Dulce River, which is located in the department of Izabal, about 300 kilometers northeast of Guatemala City.
The Navy of the National Defense indicated that before this “new modality of transport of migrants in the region”, the surveillance protocols in the waters of the Dulce River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, were reinforced.
Migration explained that every Cuban to enter Guatemala must present “a consulted type C visa, a valid passport and a PCR test for covid-19 or a complete vaccination certificate.”
In addition, a process for migrant smuggling was initiated against Gerson Ocampos and Edwin Martínez, 32 and 38 years old, respectively, and a 17-year-old minor, who were identified by the Cubans as those responsible for the transfer. .
Between group of 50 Cubans were five minors. All the detainees, including the Hondurans, were taken to the Corinto border post, located in Izabal (Honduras). “The Cubans entered the local territory by land through Honduras and embarked in Guatemala,” said Migration.
Due to its geographical position, Guatemala is a natural passageway for thousands of migrants from Central and South America and Caribbean countries, who seek to reach US territory in search of better living conditions.
Every year more than 500,000 Cubans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans and Hondurans try to migrate irregularly to the United States, despite the risks involved in crossing Mexico, recalls the EFE agency.
The National Civil Police (PNC) of Guatemala also arrested eight Cubans on Monday who were traveling by land through gaps in the department of Izabal.
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