U.S.-bound Cubans stranded in Panama must leave before May 20 deadline

U.S.-bound Cubans stranded in Panama must leave before May 20 deadline

More than 350 Cubans may lose out on an opportunity to travel to the
United States before May 20 — the end of an agreement between Panama and
Mexico to allow more than 3,800 Cuban migrants stranded in Panama to
travel to the Mexican border with the United States.
BY MARIO J. PENTÓN
mpenton@elNuevoHerald.com

The days pass slowly at Los Planes, a camp for undocumented Cuban
migrants in the western Panama province of Chiriquí, where Keily Arteaga
has lived for nearly one month.

The 29-year-old woman is one of the more than 350 Cubans who are afraid
of losing the opportunity to travel to the United States before May 20 —
the end of an agreement between Panama and Mexico to allow more than
3,800 Cuban migrants stranded in Panama to travel to the Mexican border
with the United States.

Arteaga knows she's lucky in some ways. She's covered by the bilateral
agreement that already has allowed 1,985 Cubans to pay $805 to fly to
Ciudad Juarez and then cross into the United States.

But she does not have the money for the trip, and she's afraid of ending
up alone more than 1,000 miles from her home in Cuba.

On Wednesday, Panamana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that the
price of the plane ticket to fly to Mexico will be lowered to $575, as
per a new agreement with the airline. Children under 11 will travel free.

Monica de Leon, a spokesperson, also said that more Cubans will be
admitted to list of travelers who will be allowed to fly to Mexico.
Asked what would happen to those who do not have money to pay the fare,
the official said: "They should seek support from international aid
organizations, because everyone must pay for their passage."

THEY SHOULD SEEK SUPPORT FROM INTERNATIONAL AID ORGANIZATIONS, BECAUSE
EVERYONE MUST PAY FOR THEIR PASSAGE
Monica de Leon, Panama's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

She added that those still in Panama must leave by May 20.

Some $250,000 is needed to buy air tickets for all the Cubans now
covered by the agreement, according to a document provided to el Nuevo
Herald by a Panama government official who asked for anonymity. Airline
companies already have been paid more than $1.5 million for the flights.

The Cuban flow is far from over

Although Panama has closed its borders with Colombia to undocumented
Cubans, Xiegdel Candanedo, the head of the Catholic humanitarian
organization Cáritas in Chiriquí, reported Tuesday that another 70
Cubans had surrendered to authorities in the city of David and asked to
be approved for the flights to Mexico. The Cubans arrived through the
Darien jungle, avoiding official border crossings, and are threatening
to stage a protest in David because they were denied entry to the Los
Planes camp.

Candanedo added that Caritas paid for the plane tickets for two babies,
among the 27 minors in the camp.

One Cuban American businessman who has been involved in the humanitarian
assistance for the migrants told el Nuevo Herald said that "everything
will be resolved" and that he's convinced the U.S. and Panama
governments will eventually reach an agreement to allow the Cubans to
reach U.S. territory.

After Panama closed its southern border to undocumented migrants, small
groups of Cubans have been gathering in northern Colombia, trying to
hire coyotes who can smuggle them through Central America and Mexico.

The dangerous maritime crossing from Colombia to Panama has been named
the "Lampedusa of the Caribbean" after the Italian island where tens of
thousands of migrants have been landing. And the land crossing through
the forbidding Darien jungles is just as treacherous.

For one 36-year-old Cuban woman, the migration crisis has another
complication. "I just want them to let me have an abortion," said the
woman from Las Tunas, who asked to remain unidentified.

The woman left Cuba for Ecuador — one of the few countries that does not
require Cubans to obtain visas prior to arrival — hoping to be able to
send back money for her 12-year-old daughter, who is living with her
father. She never expected life outside the island would be so hard, she
said.

"I had to work in a night club, as a prostitute, because I was not a
legal resident in Ecuador and without papers I could not work," she
added. "I never thought I would fall so low and suffer so much."

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD FALL SO LOW AND SUFFER SO MUCH
36-year-old Cuban migrant woman

Trying to break away, the woman added, she joined a group of 41 Cubans
who crossed Colombia after paying several bribes to police. On the
border with Panama, the group hired smugglers to lead them through the
jungle.

In the middle of the jungle, five more men armed with pistols turned up.
They ordered the rest of the group to wait by the side of the trail,
then raped her and another woman.

"I only realized I was pregnant in the (Los Planes) camp. I tried to
abort in every way, but no doctor wants to help me because abortion is
illegal in Panama," she said, sobbing. "The first thing I want to do
when I get to the United States is to have an abortion. I don't want
that baby, who only reminds me of the horrors I suffered."

Her case is not unique. Six out of 10 undocumented women who trek toward
the United States are sexually abused by police or people smugglers,
according to Amnesty International.

"I have a husband and a daughter in Cuba, so I can't publicly denounce
what happened to me," said the woman. "I can only say the rapist was
nicknamed Danger."

Source: U.S.-bound Cubans stranded in Panama must leave before May 20
deadline | In Cuba Today -
http://www.incubatoday.com/news/article78391287.html