Cuban Woman 15 Days
Living in San José
Airport Terminal
Tom Hanks portrayed an
eastern immigrant who
finds himself stranded
in JFK airport, and must
take up temporary
residence there in the
2004 movie "the
Terminal". However, for
Yuderci Abralantes
García, living in the
Juan Santamaría (San
José) international
airport is no movie
role, but real life.
The Cuban dissident has
taken to living in the
airport terminal for
fear of reprisals if she
returns to Cuba.
Clutching a bible and
sleeping under a thin
blanket, the blond woman
has been living in the
terminal for the last
fifteen days after
fleeing Cuba and seeking
refuge in Costa Rica.
Yuderci travelled on
TACA from La Habana to
San José and has become
the responsibility of
the airline until Costa
Rican immigration
officials make a
determination on the
case.
The Cubana told
Marcelino Rivera of the
Spanish daily Diario
Extra that she came to
Costa Rica to seek
refuge as the situation
in Cuba is very
difficult. "This is a
free country, with
liberty of expression
and where people have an
opportunity to better
themselves", said
Yuderci.
The woman has become the
attention of passengers
coming and going through
the terminal, as the
sight of someone living
and sleeping in the
airport temrinal is not
a common occurrence in
Costa Rica.
The 30 year old woman
said she has been
treated well while she
waits for immigration
officials to give her a
reply to her request for
refugee status.
Although she is not in
detention, she woman
cannot leave the
terminal, sleeping on
the cold floor of the
terminal, while
employees of TACA
airlines keep a constant
eye on her and is
escorted to the
bathrooms and food
areas.
The head of the policía
de Migración
(immigration police),
Francisco Castaing, said
that some months back
the immigration service
decided it could not
take charge of
foreigners like Yuderci
who make it to Costa
Rica seeking asylum, the
responsibility falling
on the airlines to
maintain the person in
custody and provising
basic necessities, like
food.
Castaing said the
decision was based on
economics that the
immigration service does
not have the resources
to house every such
person at the aiport
detention centre.
"There was a time when
the 'coyote' networks
took advantage of the
situation. As soon as a
foreigner arrived, there
would be a lawyer
waiting for them who
immediately filed an
appeal. It became a
serious problem", said
Castaing.
"If I am told that I
have to return to Cuba
it will be the saddest
day in my life", said
Yuderci, adding that she
prefers to suffer the
conditions and is
confident that Costa
Rican authorities will
grant her a stay. |
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