Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Dear Andrés Manuel;
Dear Heads of State and Government present;
Heads of delegations;
Guests:
Our first words express a strong condemnation of the genocide and aggression carried out by Israel against the Palestinian people, the condemnation of the merciless massacre of defenseless people, a shame for humanity that must stop.
I sincerely thank the Government of Mexico and especially the authorities of the state of Chiapas for the kind welcome at an appointment armed with the haste that emergencies always bring.
And again, thank you friend, brother Andrés Manuel for the initiative. We really needed this regional dialogue, to meet and address with frankness and realism the drama of irregular migration that hits us every day with painful news, because only in a coordinated manner could we decipher the multiple causes and consequences of the problem and only then will we be able to make progress in its possible solutions.
There is no other way to confront the notable increase in irregular migration flows.
According to public figures, between 2022 and so far in 2023, more than 4 million migrants have transited irregularly through the countries in the region that are on the route to the United States. These are numbers never seen before.
In general, we know well what factors cause this phenomenon, but it is worth investigating the main motivations of our fellow citizens, because it is up to us to temper the problem and mitigate its negative effects, while guaranteeing the safety of migrants.
Although other, politically motivated versions are intended to be imposed, there is an unavoidable truth: the fundamental cause of irregular migration is the socioeconomic conditions of the countries of origin - which is accentuated after the impact of the pandemic - and the aspiration of migrants to settle and work in the United States, where the labor market offers attract those who dream of a more prosperous economic scenario than their surroundings and do not always find it.
Family ties and vulnerabilities associated with climate change can also be mentioned.
None of these motivations are foreign to Cuba. However, the Cuban migratory potential is additionally stimulated, in a very significant way, by the policy of hostility of the United States towards our country.
This hostile policy, which has a direct and extraordinary impact on the Cuban migratory flow and collaterally on the countries of the region through which this migration passes, is expressed in three fundamental components:
First of all, there is the economic blockade, reinforced in recent years in a criminal manner with a comprehensive and comprehensive system of coercive measures aimed, by definition, at depressing the standard of living of the Cuban population, reducing their real income and making them suffer from hunger. and misery. The unfair, absurd and arbitrary classification of Cuba as a State sponsor of terrorism has a significant weight in the economic effect of that policy.
Secondly, and for political reasons, the United States Government grants privileged treatment to Cubans who arrive at its southern border or its maritime borders in order to permanently establish themselves in that country. For the vast majority, these migrants are accepted regardless of the status with which they have arrived at the border or have managed to cross it. Consequently, many Cubans are confident that, unlike nationals of other countries, their chances of establishing themselves in the United States are very high if they can reach the border by any means.
Anchor thirdly and also for political reasons, there is a federal law in the United States called the Cuban Adjustment Act, according to which every Cuban who has entered that country after the 1st. January 1959 has the opportunity to obtain permanent residency within one year of arrival. This is a unique privilege that is not enjoyed by the national of any other country. It is exclusive for Cubans and provides an extraordinary incentive for the migrant.
More than a decade ago and in his capacity as President of the Republic, Army General Raúl Castro, historical leader of the Revolution and to whom we owe important changes introduced since then in our immigration law for its necessary updating, drew attention to the great ignorance that prevails in the world about the policy towards Cuba, in the following terms:
“No one in the international press talks about the aforementioned Adjustment Law, it is as if it did not exist. Cuban emigrants are, as a result of the lie repeated thousands of times, called 'political exiles' who escape communism. That is to say, for them, citizens from Cuba 'escape', while from the rest of the world they emigrate.
“What would happen if a Latin American, Asian or African adjustment law were put into effect in the United States or the European Union? The answer is obvious. There is the gigantic wall built on the northern border of Mexico and the thousands of deaths that, year after year, occur in deserts and seas surrounding the centers of world power.”
On the other hand, the impunity of the US authorities against migrants who have taken advantage of the theft of a fumigation aircraft, or others who travel as stowaways on civil aircraft, in addition to stimulating illegal emigration from Cuba, sets very dangerous precedents for security. of international civil aeronautics, which violates the immigration agreements signed between the two countries.
All of these practices respond to purely political motivations and lack any legitimacy or moral justification.
These regulations express very clearly how the United States Government puts the objectives of destabilization against Cuba before its national priorities in immigration matters.
Between Cuba and the United States there are several agreements, still in force, that were designed to ensure that migration between the two countries was orderly, regular and safe, and to promote the full normalization of bilateral migratory relations. However, the actions on which I have commented by the United States Government go in the opposite direction to such objectives and prevent their fulfillment.
It is impossible to understand the volume and nature of the migratory flows of Cubans who transit through countries in the region bound for the United States, without considering the weight of these factors that single out and reinforce it.
Modifying the structural causes of Cuban migration, both regular and irregular, and fundamentally influencing the reduction of the flows of Cuban migrants through various countries is in the hands of the North American authorities.
As I have said recently, in general Cuban men and women who leave Cuba legally become irregular migrants, subjected to all types of risks and dangers, including their lives, in transit to the United States.
When there is the will to act in that direction, I assure you that you will always have Cuba's commitment and cooperation.
Cuban immigration policy favors the trips of Cuban citizens abroad and their return to Cuba.
We maintain bilateral migration cooperation mechanisms with several nations in the region, and exchange of migration alerts with others, with the aim of implementing the tools that allow achieving a regular, orderly and safe flow of travelers; and, at the same time, combat the trafficking of irregular migrants and human trafficking.
These types of meetings have a lot of value for our fellow citizens, for their families, for our societies and for the relations between our countries. It is what reinforces the sense of brotherhood of Our America.
Once again, thank you very much, Chiapas; Thank you very much, Mexico! Thank you very much, brother Andrés Manuel!
(Text and photo: Taken from the website of the Presidency of Cuba)
