Wednesday 21 January 2009, San José, Costa
Rica
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Cuban Denied Refuge
Continues Living In San
José Airport
Taken from the pages of
the script of the Tom
Hanks movie "Terminal",
Cuban national, José
Ángel Roque Pérez, has
become a resident of San
José's Juan Santamaría
international airport
since December 4, 2008.
Roque has asked for
refuge to remain in
Costa Rica, claiming
personal persecution by
the Cuban administration
Costa Rican immigration
has denied the man his
refugee status. However,
the man will continue
his stay while the
Fundación Defensora de
los Derechos Humanos
appeals the immigration
decision.
Hermes González,
president of the
foundation, said that an
appeal is being made to
the Consejo Superior de
Migración, the Ministra
de Seguridad and other
authorities to put an
end to the "injustice
perpetrated on this
man".
González added that
Roque is suffering the
injustice at the hands
of Costa Rican officials
for his "defending his
right to be free".
For 15 days Roque had
fashioned himself a
makeshift bed on the
floor of one of the
airport's terminals
until airport
authorities brought him
a sofa, which he now
makes as his personal
living quarters.
Roque's cousin, Alexis
Milian Borroto, said he
has asked Costa Rican
president, Oscar Arias,
to intervene and not
allow his cousin to be
sent back to Cuba, where
he faces some 30 years
in prison.
Immigration officials
say that Roque has
purchased a fake
passport in La Habana,
Cuba, pretending to
enter Costa Rica as a
Tico, however, his Cuban
accent gave him up and
was detained.
Roque said that he chose
Costa Rica for a country
that respects human
rights.
Meanwhile, Roque calls a
space that is measured
as 2 metres by 4 metres,
his little corner of
"paradise".
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