Panama Is Preparing A New Shelter For More Than 1,000 Cubans

Panama Is Preparing A New Shelter For More Than 1,000 Cubans / 14ymedio,
Mario Penton
Posted on April 12, 2016

14ymedio, Mario Penton, 9 April 2016 — An old and abandoned building in
the district of Gualaca, in western Panama, is being refurbished to
accommodate some of the more than 2,000 Cuban migrants who have been
arriving in that country from Ecuador and Guyana in recent weeks.

The flow of migrants has continued despite warnings from the Panamanian
authorities to discourage Cubans seeking to reach the United States
through Central America. In the coming days at least 1,300 more Cubans
are expected to arrive, joining those who are currently stranded on the
western border of the country.

The local news channel Telemetro reports that the preparations for the
shelter have not been well received by Gualaca's authorities, who claim
they were not consulted on the issue. However, after a meeting between
residents of the community of Planes, local authorities and governor
Hugo Mendez, it was agreed to allow the Caribbeans to be sheltered in
exchange for social projects in the district.

The Panamanian press has also reported that among the conditions imposed
by local authorities is the presence of the National Police along with
troops from the National Civil Protection System to prevent the migrants
from leaving the immediate area. A situation that has been denounced by
human rights activists which categorize it as "forced confinement."

Local people are also sensitive to issues of health and public safety,
and the government will guarantee the presence of primary care personnel
to provide for the healthcare needs of the migrants.

In the information published so far it is unclear whether the new
shelter will be for Cubans who are arriving from Puerto Obaldia or those
already in Paso Canoas. The latter have received the news with
skepticism and concern.

For Silvio Enrique Campos it is "another media lie." According to this
migrant the conditions in the current camps are subhuman, the food is
terrible and they have to pay for medical attention. "It is not like
they say in the media," he said.

Orislandy Diaz, meanwhile, told this newspaper that the Panamanian
government has "a strategy" to keep them away "from the view of the
pres." The young man wonders why they want to keep them 50 miles from
the Costa Rican border and believes that the purpose is to "hide" the
thousands of migrants.

Isleyda Lelle, a Cuban who reached the Isthmus a week ago, considers the
crowded conditions of the thousands of Cubans "grim," and calls on the
international community to help them continue their journey.

This week Costa Rica's Foreign Minister said his country has no capacity
to serve more islanders and will not allow access because the country's
capacity is exhausted after receiving more than 8,000 migrants last
year. He added that "the problem can not come here," referring to the
nearly 2,000 Cubans settled on the Panamanian border.

This coming week there will be a meeting convened by Costa Rican
President Guillermo Solis; invited to attend are United States
immigration authorities, the Central American countries, along
with Cuba, Colombia and Ecuador. Costa Rica is expected to again call
for an end to the Cuban Adjustment Act and the tightening the conditions
for granting visas to citizens of the island.

"What is appropriate," said the Costa Rican Foreign Minister, "is the
elimination of this legislation that responded to a historical context
that is not current and that is affecting all of us who are in the middle."

Source: Panama Is Preparing A New Shelter For More Than 1,000 Cubans /
14ymedio, Mario Penton | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/panama-is-preparing-a-new-shelter-for-more-than-1000-cubans-14ymedio-mario-penton/