The massive crossing of Venezuelan migrants -documented from August- from the island of San Andrés, jurisdiction of Colombia, to Corn Island, in the Autonomous Region of the South Caribbean Coast (RACCS), tragedies are beginning to be registered. Two boats, with at least 32 people on board, the majority of Venezuelan origin, capsized on August 5 and 8.
CONFIDENTIAL learned -through information from relatives and local media in Bluefields- that 28 of the people who were on these boats were rescued and four are still missing, including: the three Venezuelan migrants Eduard Alfonso Rojas, Silverio Colmenarez, and Leonel Páez; and the Ecuadorian migrant Carlos Bonilla Peñafiel.
The first shipwreck occurred on August 5 last. A boat set sail, at around 8:00 pm, from San Andrés Island, with 22 people on board, most of them Venezuelan migrants who had the purpose of crossing through Nicaragua en route to the United States. However, three hours later the boat presented damage that ended up capsizing near the coast of Cayo Albuquerque.
“On Sunday, August 7, one of the survivors contacted us and told us about the disaster. She told us that at approximately eleven o’clock at night they realized that the boat was getting water, they tried to get it out to continue but due to the strong waves it turned over and everyone fell into the water. They clung to the overturned boat and thus they floated for about three more hours until it sank completely,” one of Eduard Rojas’ relatives told CONFIDENTIAL.
“Once the boat sank, the captain of the boat encouraged them to swim since they were near the coast of Cayo Albuquerque. They began to swim with great faith, but the way was difficult for them, since they could not see the coast due to the darkness, in addition, they encountered reefs, which caused them injuries, and some of the group decided to stay there waiting to be rescued, and others four decided to continue swimming to reach the key and ask for help. They achieved their goal of arriving and found some fishermen who went in search of the others, but when they met they realized that the four people were missing, ”he added.
He explained that as a family they contacted the Colombian and Nicaraguan authorities, urging them to continue the search that the fishermen began, but they only tell them: “we are doing our search,” and they do not detail any progress.
“From Venezuela we ask, please, that the authorities continue with the search efforts, that they do not stop,” urged the relative.
Ten survivors appeared in Costa Rican waters
On August 8, the Ola 22 vessel, with license plate CP-07-1388, set sail from San Andrés Island, Colombia, with seven Venezuelan migrants and three Colombian crew members on board. However, hours after her departure, she also suffered damage, she drifted and was dragged -along with her ten passengers- near the Costa Rican Caribbean coast.
The portal Noticias de la Costa Caribe reported that relatives of the Venezuelan migrants who were on that boat contacted that medium, trying to find the whereabouts of their relatives, and, on Sunday, August 14, they were told that their relatives were rescued in Costa Rican waters.
“There are still no details of what could have happened to them. They only know that they were found alive in the waters of Costa Rica and were taken to Costa Rican soil, where they are already receiving medical care for sunburn and dehydration, after spending six days in the sun and drifting rain,” the portal said. through their social networks.
It details that among the rescued people are Venezuelan migrants: Manuel Medina, Kristian Rodríguez, Michelle oliveros, Yraida Álvarez, Miguel oliveros, Kristian Miguel Rodríguez and Kristofer Rodríguez.
The publication states that the “vessel was found by Costa Rican fishermen”, who later notified the Costa Rican coast guard, who later requested the identity documents of the rescued people to “send evidence to the relatives”.
However, he highlights, “among the photographs sent, the one of the crew members does not appear anywhere, so their status is unknown.” The three Colombian crew members are: Ramón Pineda González, Luis Daniel Gómez Guzmán and Rodolfo Corea.
CONFIDENTIAL requested -via email- information on the rescue of these people from the authorities of the Ministry of Public Security of Costa Rica, in charge of the National Coast Guard Service of that country, but until the publication of this report they had not responded to our queries.
