Costa Rica Negotiates to Fly Cubans to Belize, After Refusal from Guatemala

Costa Rica Negotiates to Fly Cubans to Belize, After Refusal from
Guatemala / EFE, via 14ymedio
Posted on December 3, 2015

EFE (via 14ymedio) San Jose, Costa Rica, 3 December 2015 — The
Government of Costa Rica reported on Thursday that given the refusal of
Guatemala, it is negotiating with Belize to airlift thousands of Cubans
who are stranded on Costa Rican soil to that country, to continue their
journey to the United States.

Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzalez said this Thursday that the
option is to send the Cubans to Belize by air, and from there move them
overland to Mexico, to continue to the United States.

Gonzalez explained that Mexico is willing to cooperate, but on the
condition that migrants come through a third country, in this case Belize.

"We are negotiating with Belize but they cannot give us an answer until
Tuesday, when the Governing Council will meet," the Foreign Minister
said in a press conference.

Gonzalez revealed that the other alternative was Guatemala, but the
government of that country is not willing to serve as a "bridge," which
took to Costa Rica "by surprise."

"Every country is sovereign and makes its own decisions. It took us a
little bit by surprise. We respect the decision of President (Alejandro)
Maldonado and the considerations that led him not to allow passage
through Guatemala," Gonzalez said.

Guatemala argued that there are logistical complexities and that they
could not guarantee the security of Cubans in dangerous areas close to
their border with Mexico, nor has Mexico given them a written assurance
that it will receive the migrants, Gonzalez revealed.

The minister clarified that the reasons given by Guatemala are "very
different" from those given by Nicaragua to not allow the passage of
Cubans by land from Costa Rica.

There are currently 4,600 Cubans stranded in Costa Rica, all of whom
came through the border with Panama and received special transit visas
from Costa Rican authorities.

The wave of Cubans began to come to Costa Rica on 14 November and a day
later Nicaragua prohibited their entry into its territory.

Nicaragua accused Costa Rica of "creating" and "manipulating" this
immigration crisis to support the immigration policies of the United
States, which provide benefits to any Cuban who reaches that country.

The Costa Rican Foreign Minister said that the government does not have
the economic resources to pay for airfare for the Cubans and that it is
looking to international organizations to provide assistance.

The Cubans, who carry passports, must bear the costs of the transfer.

These emigrants left Cuba legally by air for Ecuador, a country that did
not require a visa from them, and from there began their travel by land
and sea through Colombia and Panama, to reach Costa Rica.

As a measure to solve the crisis, Ecuador decided to require Cubans to
have tourist visas starting 1 November.

In Panama there are also over a thousand Cubans stranded, waiting to
continue their journey to the United States.

Chancellor Gonzalez said that this issue will be addressed by Costa
Rican President Luis Guillermo Solis on an official visit to Cuba, that
will take place on 15 and 16 December.

Source: Costa Rica Negotiates to Fly Cubans to Belize, After Refusal
from Guatemala / EFE, via 14ymedio | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/costa-rica-negotiates-to-fly-cubans-to-belize-after-refusal-from-guatemala-efe-via-14ymedio/