Tension Rises for Cuban Refugees Stuck in Costa Rica
Guatemala Offers Transit to 6,000, but Awaits Assurance from Mexico
Costa Rica has set up 26 shelters to host approximately 6,000 Cubans bound for the United States.
Costa Rica is urging neighboring nations to find a solution to the Cuban migrant crisis before it spirals out of control. The Costa Rican government has requested that Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador take the necessary measures to curb the arrival of more Cuban islanders. So far, 6,000 are stranded within Costa Rican territory, since Nicaragua refuses to let them through.
Kathya Rodríguez, director of Costa Rica’s migration authority, said that, as of December 7, the country has awarded 4,874 temporary visas to Cubans seeking to reach the United States by land. The migrants have requested 1,076 additional visas, but Rodríguez says the government will only grant them when more shelters become available. The temporary housing where Cuban migrants are currently staying in the country has already cost Costa Rica over CR$120 million (US$222,000).
Furthermore, the shelters are quickly running out of room to take in incoming migrants. “We have already set up 26 shelters, and our capabilities are very limited. We won’t have the resources to care for them. Migration has to stop for their own good, and for those already in Costa Rica,” Foreign Minister Manuel González said on Tuesday after learning that Belize had refused a request to fly the stranded Cubans to Belmopán so they could continue their journey.
While Costa Rican authorities negotiate with the Belizean government to allow the passage of at least 5,000 Cubans, they are also in talks with the government of Guatemala, which has said it is willing to receive the migrants and offer them a temporary 15-day visa, so they can proceed to the Mexican border.
Nevertheless, the Guatemalan government has set two conditions: that Mexico formally commits to accepting the migrants, and that someone else pays for the whole operation.
Guatemala’s Foreign Minister Carlos Raúl Morales has said that his government is open to working on solutions, but it needs guarantees. “Our priorities are Guatemalans and preventing more problems in Guatemala,” he said.
Morales argues that the Guatemalan government cannot run the risk of Cubans getting stranded again in their territory. “I have [a large] enough irregular migrant population waiting at the border, [and] to add 4,000 or 5,000 more people … it would be irresponsible, and I would be violating Guatemalan law,” he said.
He also said that the Guatemalan government cannot foot the bill resulting from flying thousands of Cubans from La Aurora International Airport to the Mexican border, besides the food, security, and other accommodations that would be needed.
“There are costs. You can’t just send them over and say, ‘here they go.’ The whole world knows we are going through a revenue crisis,” the minister explained.
3 thoughts on “Tension rises for Cuban refugees stuck in Costa Rica”
Gee, I wonder who should foot the bill? Castro, Inc., which is clearly responsible for and behind this “crisis”? You know, the people who never, EVER pay what they owe, not even to their friends and allies? Not a chance. How about the US government, meaning American taxpayers? They might as well start getting used to being ripped off before the embargo is lifted and that becomes standard operating procedure. But wait, what about “those people”? Yeah, that’s the ticket! Let them pay even MORE than they’ve already shelled out to get these stranded Cubans out of Cuba in the first place, which is a DAMN sight more than regular plane fare from Cuba to the US (or Cuba to just about anywhere, for that matter). Hell, “those people” are old hands at this sort of thing–it’s practically their specialty, and besides, how could they refuse? That’s the beauty of emotional blackmail: it works like a charm, but don’t take my word for it–ask Castro, Inc., who’s been making billions off it for years. And needless to say, when these Cubans finally get to the US, they’ll soon be adding their contribution to those billions Castro, Inc. rakes in annually. I mean, is this a great racket or what?
“Guatemala awaits assurances from Mexico.” Mexico. What could possibly go wrong? Sheesh.
The Fanjuls, Saladrigas and the like should reimburse Costa Rica for its expenses, which would be like pocket change for them. I am not, however, holding my breath. And by the way, that shelter looks incredibly nice, considering. Castro, Inc. would NEVER put up anything comparable, unless it was for the use of its ruling class during a foreign invasion (which is definitely NOT going to happen).
Gee, I wonder who should foot the bill? Castro, Inc., which is clearly responsible for and behind this “crisis”? You know, the people who never, EVER pay what they owe, not even to their friends and allies? Not a chance. How about the US government, meaning American taxpayers? They might as well start getting used to being ripped off before the embargo is lifted and that becomes standard operating procedure. But wait, what about “those people”? Yeah, that’s the ticket! Let them pay even MORE than they’ve already shelled out to get these stranded Cubans out of Cuba in the first place, which is a DAMN sight more than regular plane fare from Cuba to the US (or Cuba to just about anywhere, for that matter). Hell, “those people” are old hands at this sort of thing–it’s practically their specialty, and besides, how could they refuse? That’s the beauty of emotional blackmail: it works like a charm, but don’t take my word for it–ask Castro, Inc., who’s been making billions off it for years. And needless to say, when these Cubans finally get to the US, they’ll soon be adding their contribution to those billions Castro, Inc. rakes in annually. I mean, is this a great racket or what?
“Guatemala awaits assurances from Mexico.” Mexico. What could possibly go wrong? Sheesh.
The Fanjuls, Saladrigas and the like should reimburse Costa Rica for its expenses, which would be like pocket change for them. I am not, however, holding my breath. And by the way, that shelter looks incredibly nice, considering. Castro, Inc. would NEVER put up anything comparable, unless it was for the use of its ruling class during a foreign invasion (which is definitely NOT going to happen).