A group of Cuban residents in Ecuador has sent a letter to Pope Francis, asking the Pope to intercede for migrants from the island remaining in the South American country en route to the United States.
The document, signed by Peter J. Basulto and Fernanda Borges of the Faith, both "community representatives" of Cubans in Ecuador, considered the imminent outbreak of a humanitarian crisis caused by "hundreds, if not thousands" of migrants They keep waiting to travel to Mexico, where they can go to the southern US border and go to that country to benefit from the Cuban Adjustment Act.
The letter to Pope Francisco was delivered yesterday at the Apostolic Nunciature of the Vatican State in Ecuador. It was received by the personal secretary Monsignor Giacomo Pastorino Ottonello, Apostolic Nuncio in the country.
CubaNet reproduces the text of the letter below.
A: Papa Francisco.
Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.
Head of State of the Vatican.
Your Excellency:
We write from the Cuban community living in Ecuador with the purpose of addressing humanitarian issues of major related to the current Cuban migration crisis that has its origins in this country and that involves more than 5000 Cuban and Cubans, among them children , pregnant women and elderly people, desperate severe economic crisis in this country and the impossibility of economic support to unemployment, wage instability, lack of resources, among other problems will soon time to Colombia to organize there one humanitarian crisis or will move this capital with the same objective. Many of our compatriots have lost everything in the recent earthquake disaster last April 16 and can not return to Cuba for justified reasons. We have the complex experience of this type of crisis recently in Costa Rica and Panama, to which you referred.
Horrific episodes of extortion, rape, murder and disappearances of entire families have suffered in all this time throughout the Central Flyway to achieve freedom and well - being that allows the government of the United States by Cuban Adjustment Act.This moves us to seek help to prevent further loss of life.
We want to avoid the transfer of thousands of Cubans to Colombia irregularly and all that it entails, but it is necessary to take definitive measures in time to enable from Ecuador the safe movement of Cubans to the borders with the United States, which can only be possible if a high - level negotiations in which Ecuador generously advocate for the thousands of Cubans who are here, who unfortunately do not have government representation for such a debate is organized. The government of President Rafael Correa, as is known, holds indissoluble friendship relations with the Havana government that does not see its diaspora as part of his people. Therefore, we seek the support of high ecclesiastical personalities of this country and the State of Vatican, in his person specifically, to represent us and mediate in an effort to convince the Ecuadorian government on this matter or directly to establish a high - level dialogue with the government of Mexico, who acknowledges the current situation of Cuban emigration and willing to help but needs to be able to establish large - scale negotiations to find a solution. Solving this migration crisis from Ecuador completely resolve this issue in the region and what we aspire.
We promptly also concerned that the Ecuadorian government implement a document review process a large group of illegal Cubans that live here on the occasion of this crisis. The Constitution of this country upholds and defends the principle of free movement which makes you be at the forefront in this regard. We need the protection of the State of the Vatican through its apostolic nunciature in Quito for the protection of these irregular Cuban brothers while this immigration crisis is resolved.
Then is imminent outbreak of a humanitarian crisis of hundreds of Cubans in Ecuadorian lands as part of the migratory crisis if not thousands, and we appeal to the goodness of their offices to support resources and means of survival for those people in conditions of desperation.
We can not fail to acknowledge and thank the noble people of Ecuador, who opened the doors in the lands of freedom to many thousands of Cubans over the years, and the Catholic Church in Costa Rica and Panama, who gave our compatriots with love not what superfluity, but what they had shared in an unforgettable gesture of solidarity. We have no way repay.
Knowing the generosity and goodwill of his high office and the indelible mark of their presence in Cuba and Ecuador is that we make this urgent request seeing in it a hope for the realization of our objectives.
You were grateful.
MSc. Peter J. Borges Basulto.
Community representative.
Lic. Fernanda de la Fe.
Community representative.
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