CHETUMAL, Mexico: Mexico yesterday released 14 Cuban migrants rescued at sea by its navy this month, some of whom headed for the United States by bus to take advantage of a US policy that allows Cubans arriving by land to stay.
The Cubans, who were without food and survived by drinking rain water, were intercepted off the Yucatan peninsula badly sunburned and dehydrated after three weeks adrift at sea, and Mexico’s government had said they would likely be deported.
Only 15 survived the journey from Manzanillo in eastern Cuba, with 15 dying at sea, and two more dying after they were rescued. One migrant had already been released and is in the United States. The group set off on August 7, and were forced to fashion a makeshift sail for their vessel after the motor failed early in the journey.
A Mexican immigration official said on Monday that the Cuban government had not recognised the survivors as its citizens. The Cuban government has not commented on the case.
They were released from an immigration center in Chetumal on the Yucatan peninsula on Tuesday and the group split into two. Some made for the southeastern city of Villahermosa and said they were on the way to the US border, while the rest headed for the Yucatan capital of Merida.
Jose Caballero, the husband of one of the rescued women confirmed that his wife, Maylin Perez, had been released.
“My wife just called. We spoke very briefly,” he said, explaining she was using a borrowed cellphone and asked him to send money to pay the bus fare to the US border.
“I’m running now to send the money,” he added.
Reuters
