This happened some weeks ago, seven people had launched a raft of wood and styrofoam to sea in a bid to reach the U.S. Without means of propulsion the vessel was caught by a current that ended up depositing them in front of the busy Malecón, the promenade that runs the length of the bay of Havana.
The coastguard and police showed up promptly, and after two hours of negotiations the raft was hauled away by the coastguard boat, forcing the failed defectors to swim to shore where the authorities were waiting. Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported the incident, and although the article is in Spanish only, there’s an interesting video showing the outcome of the incident, the worried migrants herded by uniformed men into police cars and driven away.
Under Penal Code Articles 216 and 217, those caught trying to leave the country without the permission of the government can be sent to jail for up to three years or fined an equivalent of three year’s salary in Pesos. If you have access to dollars, this amount (roughly $700) is payable, and many do pay as the conditions in prison is even more precarious than the daily hardships most Cubans contend with.
In the past three decades, thousands of Cubans have been imprisoned for trying to leave the island without permission. In 1994, illegal exit prisoners were thought to constitute the largest category of political prisoners in Cuba. In 1990 alone, there were 335 inmates convicted of illegal exit serving time in a single prison in Havana, the Combinado del Este.26
Source: World Policy Institute. Those interested in a closer look at the Cuban Penal code and how it’s used to repress dissent please look here at a document WPI has assembled.
The World Policy Institute, is a nonpartisan source of informed policy leadership for more than four decades, develops and champions innovative policies that require a progressive and global point of view.
For earlier posts concerning the difficulty of leaving Cuba, please see 90 miles, Yoani – Still a Prisoner and An End to Exit Permits.
