SAN SALVADOR.—Member nations of the Central American integration System, (SICA) joined by guests Cuba, Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico, agreed yesterday, November 24, to continue collaborating to find a solution to the problem of Cuban emigrants amassed in Costa Rica.
Those in attendance reiterated the need to find a comprehensive solution to the problem, with Salvadoran Foreign Minister Hugo Martínez, SICA president pro tempore, saying, “It’s not these two or three thousand people, but the unilateral measures adopted which encourage the migration of citizens from one country.”
He recognized the importance of resolving the situation of Cubans in Costa Rica, whose numbers are reaching 3,000, noting that the situation has not been caused by the country of origin, but rather by the destination country, the United States.
Cubans seek to reach the U.S. to take advantage of special regulations which apply only to them, not any other Latin American emigrant, he said, referring to the Cuban Adjustment Act which provides Cuban emigrants an expedited pathway to legal residency in the country.
He said that his country will forcefully demand that the rights of emigrants from El Salvador, and other Central American nations, be respected.
Regarding the bottle neck of thousands of Cubans in Costa Rica attempting to travel north to the United States, Martínez reiterated that countries involved will proceed according to their own respective laws. He emphasized that self-determination must be respected, and that every nation has the right to decide to admit these individuals or not.
During the meeting, the Nicaraguan delegation maintained the position the country has taken since last week, when it refused entrance to some 2,000 Cubans coming from Costa Rica, in accordance with migratory laws currently in effect, and in defense of their national sovereignty.
An official statement, read by Nicaragua’s Communication and Citizenry Coordinator Rosario Murillo, declared that the country’s government “reiterates its position of refusing to legitimize illegal policies which cause harm, suffering and economic losses to human beings, entire families, governments and the peoples of Cuba and the region,” adding that the United States “has the responsibility to correct and change the situation, accepting, once and for all, with realism and seriousness, a new era of dialogue and respect in its relations with Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel González noted the good will shown by Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, who joined SICA member nations during the group’s afternoon session.
González emphasized that an immediate solution to the current situation on Costa Rica’s borders is urgently needed, as the number of Cubans stranded there, on their way to the United States, continues to increase.
Ecuador’s deputy minister of Human Movement, María Landázuri, reminded the press that, according to international law, “Among the solutions which could be offered these Cubans, considering the creation of a humanitarian corridor is not an option,” since, “that applies only in situations of war or armed conflict, and this is not the case.”
CUBAN ADJUSTMENT ACT DENOUNCED
Prensa Latina reported that the nations gathered at the SICA plus Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia meeting unanimously condemned the U.S. Cuban Adjustment Act, and other related regulations, including the “wet foot-dry foot” policy and the Parole Program for Cuban Medical Professionals, which encourage illegal emigration to the United States.
The ministers in attendance expressed respect for the position Cuba has taken on the current situation, approaching its citizens stranded in Costa Rica as victims of the politicization of migration policies on the part of the U.S. government.
The SICA+4 summit reiterated its commitment to continue working together on illegal migration and trafficking in persons. The diplomats from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador, along with guests Cuba, Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, reaffirmed the shared goal of reducing the number of illegal migrants across the region, within the context of their own legislation.
Cuba reiterated that its citizens who have left the country legally and comply with current migratory laws, have the right to return, if they so desire.
The extraordinary meeting was held behind closed doors in the official protocol hall at Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport, located some 45 kilometers south of the city.
