Cubanos seeking asylum in Mexico

Cuban boat abandoned at North Beach January 2015

The make-shift rafts, hand-built boats, and in one case a hot tub transport hopeful people from Cuba to the eastern coastline of Mexico.  Cubanos desperately looking for a better life.

When we moved to Isla Mujeres in 2007, we knew nothing of the Cuban refugee situation other than what was broadcast on American news; refugees periodically arriving in Florida in dangerously unsafe boats.  Fascinating stories, but it didn’t affect our safe lives in Canada.

Cuban boat east side of Isla Mujeres June 2009 

Since our first winter on Isla there have been about a dozen, or perhaps more, landings that we are aware of.  The Cubans are looking for a less oppressive life-style, and for the most part they have strong family connections with Mexico, especially Isla Mujeres.  Isla’s most well-known pirate, Fermin Anonio Mundaca de Marecheaga became a famous and wealthy slave trader in the Caribbean, selling Mayan slaves from this area to plantation owners in Cuba.  In 1860 when the British campaigned against slavery, Mundaca rented out his ships to the Yucatan Government, which continued to capture Mayans and sell them to Cuba. Family members of both Cuban and Mexican fishermen visited back and forth for centuries, before international rules and treaties made it difficult to do so. 

Across from Naval Base - May 2009

According to long-time islanders, after the communist takeover of Cuba, the business of importing undocumented Cubanos has been a time-honored way to make extra money.  When finances become tight, anyone with a strong boat and two or three fast motors can do well supplementing their income.   Across from the Navy base on Isla Mujeres, there is a long string of seized boats, rafted together.  These are boats confiscated from smugglers; smugglers of contraband and of people.

Refugee boat - April 2012

The actual laws governing Cuban refugees is a confusing situation.  For example in the USA the Cuban Adjustment Act was changed in 1995 to what is referred to as the Wet Foot-Dry Foot policy.  If they are captured at sea (wet foot) they are returned to Cuba and possibly imprisoned for the remainder of their lives, or they could be sent to a third country that was willing to take the refugees.  If they were captured on land in the USA (dry foot) they were given a chance to apply for an expedited permanent resident status.

Discarded wet clothing - November 2010 near our house

In 2012 the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board did an extensive study on what happened to failed asylum seekers who were returned to Cuba, and to their family members who had stayed in Cuba.  The information was scarce and difficult to validate, but officially the returning person is only incarcerated if they committed a crime before fleeing Cuba.  However the option for the officials to declare the returnee a traitor, and ‘blacklist’ that person preventing him or her from obtaining employment or other services is a very real threat.

Tourist inspecting boat that landed on September 4th 2015

In Mexico the laws are a bit fuzzier.  It would appear that if the Cubanos are captured, either on the ocean or on land, the official policy is to return the people to their own country.  However, in chatting with various islanders that is not always the case.  Because of their close family ties, and the historical background the refugees are treated differently. 

There have been in past years dramatic rescues of prisoners that are being transferred to prisons.   There have been cases of the refugees being arrested, then released with the admonishment to show up for their hearing in a week’s time.   There have been reports of officials pointing north and stating: “The US border is that way.”   Being Spanish speaking the Cuban refugees assimilate quickly into the Mexican culture, receiving dry clothing, food and assistance from the locals.   

A wink, a nod, a knowing smile when we ask questions of our Mexican friends.  Legends.  Stories.  Nothing documented.

Cozumel boat arrived April 2016 - Por Esto photo

As for the most recent arrival on Isla Mujeres of nine men and three women, and another larger group of men captured in Cozumel we haven’t been able to learn what will happen with them.  According to recent news reports, the authorities believe that both groups and their make-shift boats were ‘planted’ a short distance off-shore by bigger boats, enabling the people to safely reach land. 

Either way, stay or return, it is an uncertain future for the refugees.  Hopefully their status will get sorted out and they can get on with building a better life here in Mexico.

Pieces of a Cuban boat drifting on north-east side January 2015

And for those of you who have been following the story of the five missing island fishermen - the aerial search for their boat, the Anastacia, is now centred over the Honduras.  Missing since March 30^th, there is still hope for their safe return.   

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

Five fishermen and boat missing since March 30th

Missing! Five Islanders and the Anastacia

Anastacia - before it went missing.  Isla Fiesta photo

They are husbands and fathers, brothers and sons, uncles and nephews, cousins and friends; and they are missing.  Five friends left Isla Mujeres on a 32-foot boat, the Anastacia, Wednesday March 30^th.  They were headed towards the island of Cozumel to fish for sharks.   

They have not been heard from since.

Waiting for news

At the fishing coop where the Anastacia berths the families wait, faces pinched by worry and love, seeking comfort from each other.  

Eyes brim with tears that quickly spill with the arrival of more friends, affectionate hugs, and soft words of solace.  An upset child picking up the unsettled mood, tugs at a sleeve of his mother, plaintively asking: When is papi coming home? 

But each new day is a morning filled with hope and optimism.  “Today is the day we will find them!” 

The search coordinating committee is made up of many islanders including Jorge Fernando De La O Pino papa to Jorge De La O, the captain of the Anastacia.  

Javi, Marla, Jorge Sr., and Jill

Others members are Marcelo Cupul Ku, Rogelio Digurnay Perez, Marcelino Cupul Avalos, Javier Martinez Cen, Marla Bainbridge Martinez, Wilberth Ancona Argaez, Julio Sosa Chuc and Thelmo Burgos Uc.  Jill Hardekopf is also helping out with her American contacts.  

Most of the committee has other jobs that they have taken a leave of absence from, allowing them to devote time to finding their family members.  In the case of Jorge Sr., the opening for his new restaurant has been delayed indefinitely.   Javier Martinez Cen (Javi) and Jorge Jr., have been as close as cousins since birth.  For him, and all of the other families, this search is intensely personal.

Currents - Mexico, Cuba, US

The search grids are based on suggestions from highly qualified experts from around the world and experienced members of the community, fishermen, captains and mates who know the currents and wind patterns.  From early morning to late at night coordinators makes phone calls to authorities seeking assistance, asking permission, planning for the next day’s search grid, raising money to pay for the massive amounts of fuel required, and answering hundreds of emails and Facebook posts.  

All through the day optimistic words of hope are spoken.  Never give up!  We will find them.   Each sunset is the beginning of a night filled with very little and restless sleep, exhausted brains spinning with questions.  Where are they?  Are they okay?  What can we do next?  Where should the search focus tomorrow?

Huachisan III and crew searching in Cuban waters

Deline García Canto talks with pride how his papa Juan de Dios García Povedano (Huacha) and crew aboard the Huachisan III have been given permission to search in Cuban waters.   They are tired, worried and a long way from home, but still searching for their friends.  The Mexican government has initiated the request for assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, and are still waiting on their reply.  

Also out searching

The navy, the harbor master, and the UltraMar passenger ferry have all assisted. Mexico News Daily with a readership of twenty thousand expats carried the story a few days ago, as did a TV station in Houston because Jorge De La O lives there part of the year.  A gofundme campaign has raised thousands of dollars to assist with the cost of fuel for the search boats; more is needed.  

Locals and expats have come together providing basic needs for the five families, waiting without a source of income, for the return of their husbands and fathers.  The search committee is working remotely with the specialized, volunteer Search & Rescue team from the USA.  Their arrival has been delayed, awaiting documentation.

Isla Mujeres is a strongly knit community of locals and foreigners all pulling together to bring the five men home safely, hopefully with an interesting adventure story to tell their children.  But the social media network is slowly picking at the threads of the community, bit by bit, picking and unraveling the fabric of the island.  

Social media is a curse and a blessing.  It is an instant form of communication.  And an instant form of condemnation and criticism.   Why didn’t they do this?  Why don’t they do that?  I could do this better.  Not taking into account the tangled regulations involved with three separate countries – Mexico, USA, and Cuba who hasn’t had a diplomatic relationship with the USA from 1960 until just this year.  Permissions are required to cross, enter or fly over airspace and oceans.  And not taking into account the personal toll on the family members as each new rumor is bandied about as “the truth” while family members are left to wonder: Why wasn’t I told.  I am sitting right here five feet away from the coordinators.  Why didn’t they tell me my son was okay?  And then it’s revealed to not be the truth, but just a fast-moving rumor spreading like wild-fire through the internet searing the hearts of those waiting for news.

Dawn of another day of hope!

Maybe today is the day that they will find them!  

Be strong, stick together, and work to a common goal.  It’s what makes Isla Mujeres such a special place in a complex world.

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

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If you would like to help - please donated to the Find the Anastacia Fund gofundme

A slice of island life

It’s an oddity.  A large protrusion of compressed sand and coral pieces jutting out into the ocean.  It was nick-named Ship Rock by family members who moved to the neighbourhood a few years before we did.  

Located just a little south of our casa the bow of the rock ship points north east towards Cuba, resembling a small cruise ship waiting to depart on an adventure.

When the island of Isla Mujeres was created by the forces of nature, this piece of land was part of the island, but over the ten or so thousands of years it has become semi-detached floating free in a turquoise sea.  

Ship Rock has become a focal point in the neighbourhood, a place to fish, or swim.  A place to plink stones into the water, while staring in contemplation at the ocean.  It’s peaceful.  And it’s hectic.

On hot summer weekends the rock is festooned with kids who, under their parents’ loose supervision, enjoy a refreshing dip in the ocean.  We relax on our second floor ocean-side deck, listening to the shrieks of laughter, and the excited barking of pets – free from leashes and happily terrorizing other dogs. 

Around October, a run of thin, silver, very bony and tasty fish swim past.  The many avid fans of the Lady Fish cast hopefully with rod and reel or hand-lines, hauling in dozens of fish.  

Even the family pets get in on the act, hauling the fish to shore as they are hooked on the line.  Dinner!

Other times the rock is inhabited with a gang of noisy pelicans.  They are also fishing for dinner; scattered in the waves, perched on the edge of the outcropping, feasting on a run of sardines passing through.  

Then with their bellies stuffed with fish the birds rest and contemplate life, wings tucked in while they snooze for an hour or two.

During the windy winter months a few intrepid tourists and locals try out body-surfing at Ship Rock.  

The waves curl and crash, tossing young bodies into the air, or stuffing them under the water.  

It looks like fun, although the water is not very deep where the waves break, and the coral rocks make a tough landing. 

The comings and goings at Ship Rock provide us with a bit of amusement, a source of entertainment on lazy afternoons, or a focal point for a winter sunrise photo.  

Just another small, but interesting slice of island life.

Hasta Luego

Lawrie & Lynda

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Random acts of kindness

Maria Lopez sold peanuts and pepitas  

 Trudging through hot afternoon sun, clutching a thick file of photographic enlargements Cindy Martinez is on a mission; a mission to deliver her current batch of portraits to islanders. 

Most of the time she only has a first name, or perhaps a doorway in the background to identify the person or the location in the photograph. She charges nothing for her work, her reward is the satisfaction of making someone smile when they receive her gift.

It is also a pleasant way to meet people, to be invited into their homes, and to really get to know them. She started shooting portraits on Isla 17 years ago, shooting the pictures one year and then returning the next with the enlargements.

Cindy with Cuban friends

One of her earlier portraits was of a mother, father, the children and their grandmother. Soon after she took the photograph the mother passed away. The grandmother and kids have continued to have a special place in her heart. 

Another special memory is when she captured the original lighthouse keeper at Punta Sur as he demonstrated blowing a conch shell like a horn. He passed away several years ago and the family has since approached Cindy, asking if she could possibly reprint that image as the original was damaged in hurricane Wilma. At the time her photographs were on film, not digital. This past year she had to hunt through numerous negatives, looking for that particular image in hopes of recreating the family keep-sake, of bringing them a bit of joy. There are times when she is asked to take a photo of an old photo that is fading or damaged. She retouches the original picture and returns with copies that can be kept by the family.

Young ladies in Cuba

Cindy discovered Isla Mujeres back in the late 1990's with her husband Steve, and has been returning to the island as often as possible ever since. As she walks through the neighborhoods she will occasionally spot one of her portraits hanging on a wall inside a house. It brings a smile to her face to know it is still being appreciated. She has also donated photographs to fundraisers for PEACE, the Little Yellow School House, and Isla Animals plus other charities back in her home town of Milwaukee Wisconsin. The featured portraits shown here, are from Cuba, because she keeps the images from Isla Mujeres solely as gifts to the family.

Cindy practicing with Japanese sword

With many interests and passions Cindy is a practitioner in the art of Chinese Kung Fu, wielding swords and staffs with efficient ease. On her trips to Cuba - bringing suitcases of food, shampoo, toothpaste, flip flops and shoes to the nationals - she also packs her sword so she can visit and play Kung Fu at the large Wu Shu Kung Fu school in downtown Havana. 

While on Isla Mujeres she is training at the Escuela de Lima Lama with Maestro Julio. This year she transported a Japanese sword for Julio. At customs in Mexico, she was asked what was in the large box and when she replied that it was a large sword plus shoes to give away, they told her to walk around the scanners and by-pass security!

Well known Cuban woman - recently passed away

Cindy's random acts of kindness started about twenty years ago, after a botched surgical operation. 

Near death, she made a promise to her Creator: “Let me stay here on earth, and I will find ways to be good and kind to other people.”

And she does.

"Get your butt over here!"

Vivian, chef and owner of Qubano

"Get your butt over here! I need help."

Vivian Reynaldo, the chef and owner of an Isla landmark - Qubano Restaurant - chuckles while recounting her first weeks in the restaurant business five years ago.  She didn't have a clue how to cook pork - one of the main meat ingredients in Cuban foods.  Vivian paid the airfare for a Miami friend to come to Isla, to teach her. 

She laughs: "I'm Jewish.  How would I know how to cook pork?" 

Born in Cuba to a Romanian mother, and a Hungarian father she left her birthplace in early 1961 - sent to the safety of her Aunt Fritzi's home in Brooklyn New York. 

This was the year that Vivian discovered snow, the biggest snow storm of the century - 100 inches!  Later, after the unsuccessful attempt by United States backed Cuban exiles to overthrow the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro during the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Vivian's entire family fled to Brooklyn. 

 Vivian's first excursion to Isla Mujeres was in 1970, with her husband, when getting here was an adventure on its own.  The first paved road linking Merida to Puerto Juarez was built in 1954, allowing limited access to the area. 

The first location of Qubano Restaurant on Isla

Travelers were faced with a long arduous bus from Merida to Puerto Juarez, then a ride on the Sultana del Mar the original and, very slow, passenger boat. 

The streets of the island were carved into the sand.  Sand that drifted with the wind, piling up against buildings, causing havoc for the rare vehicle on the island. 


The new location on Hidalgo Avenue

The main area of habitation on Isla Mujeres was a sleepy little fishing village, with no amenities and couple of hundred permanent residents. 

She fell in love with the island, returning often and in 1978 with two young children, aged three and five, in tow.  Ten years ago she finally built a permanent home on the island. 

"Why," I asked, "did you open a restaurant?" 

"Because my friends liked my food.  They kept telling me - you should open a restaurant. 

So I did."   

Vivian's first location was on the Abasolo Street in Centro.  A cozy, colourful, little place that could squeeze about a dozen patrons inside. 

A few months ago she doubled the seating capacity - moving to a new location across from Angelos Steak House on Hidalgo Avenue.  It is just as cozy, warm, and colourful. 

And the food is still yummy! 


Lawrie's Sliders & my Vivian's Salad

Lawrie is a fan of the little Hamburger Sliders. 

Me, I am a admirer of her special Vivian's Salad, recipe that she created over forty years ago.

We haven't tried any of the pork dishes as yet.  But I'm sure that Vivian's Miami friend did a great job teaching her how to cook pork. 

Me, I'm just glad she listened to her friends' advice.  "Open a restaurant."

The Famous Fries!

Qubano closing Tuesday July 31st. Thanks for the great food, friendship and memories Viv!  

~

Murder and Mayhem in paradise!

Come join the adventure. Available as e-books on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and iBooks. Also available as paperback on Amazon, Jenny Penny Beach Boutique on Isla, and from me, Lynda L. Lock.