Another 12 Cubans released from Mexican immigration detention center

A dozen Cubans were released this weekend after being detained for three months at the Janos immigration station, a considerable amount of time for which a complaint was filed for alleged illegal deprivation of liberty.

The Antilleans are part of the 62 people who went on hunger strike following an alleged mass poisoning suffered from the ingestion of contaminated food offered to them in that penitentiary, explained Jorge Vázquez Campbell, the lawyer who represents them in the legal case.

Yuzmani Echazabal Guzmán, one of the 12 people released, stated that she did not even receive medical attention to reverse the epileptic seizures she suffers from.

The Cubans denounced the Mexican National Migration Institute (INM) for holding them in inhumane conditions, including overcrowding, deprivation of basic medical services, and adequate nutrition, as well as for not allowing them to make phone calls to their families, among other situations that, they claim, violate their human rights.

The group of 62 migrants filed a case against the Seventh District Judge for the crime of abuse of authority, as recognized by Article 164 of the Chihuahua State Penal Code, after they were denied the benefit of the release of foreigners, arguing that the law did not authorize them to proceed in this manner. However, the lawyer himself maintains that this is false and that the case is admissible because the minister left it in writing.

The 12 newly released individuals owe that decision to the Fourth District Judge, who issued the release order. They join 14 other islanders who were released on August 14; however, the rest (36) remain imprisoned at that immigration station.

Vázquez Campbell mentioned that the Cubans released on Saturday will now apply for their asylum interview numbers in the United States. He also said that they already have permission from the INM (National Institute of Migration) to work in Mexico for the duration of their stay, but they must report their work to the INM every week.

Thousands of Central Americans are currently on the southern border of the United States pursuing the American dream, and hoping to settle on American soil to find work and improve their living conditions. However, almost all of the Cubans who are doing so now cite political reasons, hoping to access political asylum by claiming "credible fear" of persecution.cucion or torture in their country of origin.

Since Mexico is a neighbor of the United States of America, it constitutes a direct route for illegal emigration from countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba, with the goal of reaching the USA.

Humanitarian and human rights organizations have repeatedly pointed out the numerous risks these migrants face, including frequent extortion and robbery by gang members, institutional fraud, violence by coyotes, and the presence of prostitution and human trafficking networks.

Photos: Fernando Méndez / The Juarez Diary