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Cuba: Treatment of family members of persons who left Cuba to immigrate to other countries (2002 to March 2003)

While not specifically related to the situation of family members still in Cuba after a relative had left to immigrate to another country, a 28 December 2001 El Nuevo Herald report states that a couple, Humberto Colás Castillo and Berta Mexidor, who had established the Cuban independent libraries project (Proyecto de Bibliotecas Independientes de Cuba, PBIC), had been the recipients of [translation] "constant threats" by the Cuban government after they attempted to leave Cuba legally to the United States. Despite having the required US visas, the couple and their children were unable to board their flight to Miami because the Cuban authorities alleged there was a problem with their passports (El Nuevo Herald 28 Dec. 2001). After their attempt to leave Cuba, the couple's house was confiscated by the authorities and their children were threatened in their school (ibid.). Two relatives of Mexidor were also fired from their jobs (ibid.).

Two sources also reported the case of Maritza Sixto, a Cuban woman who defected to the United States, and whose husband and daughter had been denied the exit visas required by the Cuban government for reunification with Sixto (The Atlanta Journal and Constitution 28 Jan. 2002; Newsday 13 Jan. 2002). Both sources state that about 200 Cuban families find themselves in similar situations of separation because the Cuba government refuses to issue the proper documents for reunification (ibid.; The Atlanta Journal and Constitution 28 Jan. 2002). After defecting to the US and being granted political asylum, Sixto was given assurances from the American authorities that they would approve her reunification application for her husband and daughter (Newsday 13 Jan. 2002). However, the Cuban government informed Sixto's husband that the waiting period for exit permits for relatives of Cuban defectors was three years (ibid.). Two years after defecting in September 2000, Sixto's family was granted leave from Cuba in February 2002 (NewsMax.com 29 Aug. 2002).

The Associated Press (AP) reported in March 2002 that a Cuban family who had resided in the US for a number of years were unable to leave Cuba when they visited family members, possibly because of other family members' defection to the US at the same time (7 Mar. 2002). Luis and Mireya López were visiting Luis López' brother, Rolando López and his family, when the Cuban authorities confiscated their passports (AP 7 Mar. 2002). Luis López was accused by the Cuban government of bringing Rolando López and his family to the US (ibid.).

Cubanet reported in September 2002 that Lázara Brito González and her family have had their rights violated since 1994, the year Brito's husband, José Cohen Valdés, a former intelligence official with the Ministry of the Interior, left for the US clandestinely (9 Sept. 2002). Brito claims that the Cuban authorities have denied her reunification requests as means to [translation] "to punish and restrict" her husband (Cubanet 9 Sept. 2002). Her request to meet with the government's legal service (Asesoría Legal del Consejo de Estado) has been denied three times even though this is a right of every Cuban citizen (ibid). Brito has received numerous visits by intelligence personnel who have attempted to incite her to share information about her husband in exchange for passage to the US (ibid). As a result of her refusal to cooperate with the authorities, her family and neighbours have been harassed, her phone line has been disconnected and her movements have been monitored (ibid.). Since 1996, Brito, her children and her in-laws have had US visas, but they have been unable to leave Cuba (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Cubanet. 9 September 2002. Claudia Márquez Linares. "Familia reclama respuesta." <http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y02/sep02/09a5.htm> [Accessed 10 Mar. 2003]

The Associated Press (AP) Worldstream. 7 March 2002. "Family Says Cuba Keeping Relatives from Leaving." (NEXIS)

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. 28 January 2002. "Castro Hypocritical on Families." (NEXIS)

Newsday [New York]. 13 January 2002. Mary Beth Sheridan. "Cuban Defectors Wait, Longing for Reunions; Families Hit Roadblocks in Quest for Exit Visas." (NEXIS)

NewsMax.com. 29 August 2002. Myles B. Kantor. "The Acrobatics of Emancipation." <http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2002/8/28/191239.shtml> [Accessed 11 Mar. 2003]

El Nuevo Herald [Miami]. 28 December. 2001. Wilfredo Cancio Isla. "Al exilio fundadores de las bibliotecas independientes." <http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y01/ dec01/28o1.htm> [Accessed 10 Mar. 2003]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

LEXIS/NEXIS

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites including:

Amnesty International

Canadian Foundation on the Americas (FOCAL)

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. 2002.

Cuba Free Press

Cubanet News

Human Rights Watch

The Miami Herald. Search engine

Nueva Prensa Cubana

El Nuevo Herald. Search engine

Reporters sans frontières

United Nations

Search engines:

Alltheweb.com

Google