Cuba: deadly sinking of a migrant boat
Since October 1, 2022, the US Coast Guard has intercepted 5,321 Cubans at sea, compared to 6,182 in the previous twelve months (illustrative image).
U.S. Coast Guard
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Five people died and 12 others are missing in the sinking of a makeshift boat trying to reach the United States from the Cuban coast, the official press in Cuba reported on Friday (January 27th).
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"
Five deaths have been reported
", indicated on its website the media
Cubadebate
, specifying that "
the survivors indicated that the accident occurred due to strong waves
".
“
After a call for help, two coastguard boats went to the scene where they rescued eleven people.
These witnesses said that twelve occupants of the boat were also missing, added the same source.
The migrants, from the municipality of Cardenas, located 115 km east of Havana, had left the island "
illegally on January 23
" from the town of Torrontela, "
with the intention of reaching the territory of the United States
”.
Their boat sank the next day.
🇨🇺⛴️ A rudimentary boat shipwrecked in the mañana del martes 24 de enero al norte de Cayo Cruz del Padre, Cárdenas, Matanzas.
Los survivientes refieren que el incidente sobrevino debido al fuerte oleaje.https://t.co/HCZTfU1O0w
— Cubadebate (@cubadebatecu) January 28, 2023
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Hit by a serious economic crisis, Cuba is experiencing an unprecedented exodus, particularly to the United States.
Since the end of 2021, many Cubans have taken advantage of the visa exemption in Nicaragua, an ally of Havana, to then try to reach the United States through Central America.
Clandestine emigration by sea, across the Florida Strait (140 km), has also accelerated in recent months.
Since October 1, the US Coast Guard has intercepted 5,321 Cubans at sea, compared to 6,182 in the previous twelve months (September 2021 to September 2022).
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Washington announced new border control measures in early January to try to stem the flow of illegal migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean.
These include immediate expulsions, accompanied by a ban on new entry into the territory for five years.
At the same time, to encourage migrants to use legal emigration channels, a program provides for the monthly entry into the United States of 30,000 nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
(with
AFP
)
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