Alarm in Bahamas for growing appearance of Cuban rafters: authorities look for five missing in shipwreck

Authorities in the Bahamas and the United States have warned that in recent months the presence of Cuban rafters has increased on the coasts of the archipelago in their attempt to reach Florida and that This week, around 20 migrants were intercepted, victims of a shipwreck that left at least one dead and five missing.

The arrival of Cubans in the Bahamas has increased, but authorities in Nassau have yet to provide statistics on this trend. The United States Coast Guard has information on arrests in its territory, which indicates that From October 1, 2020 to today, he intercepted 87 Cubans compared to 49 in the same period a year ago.

On Wednesday, the Cuban Arsen Hernández begged the rescuers not to abandon the is looking for her two children aged 6 and 4, who were part of the group that left Cuba on March 1 for the United States on a raft that went missing in the Bahamas.

About 20 people were on the raft, including the two miners and their mother, Lisbeth and Alfonso Aborresco, 28, but the group was left by the pilot on a wrench in the Atlantic while he repaired the boat, according to the press release. to the Hispanic network Univision.

The alleged driver of the boat, Kiko García, was arrested in the Bahamas archipelago for human trafficking and deported to Miami.

In addition, two people, including Aborresco’s current husband, went on a boat to search for the group, but that boat exploded with them on board.

Bahamian authorities have confirmed the discovery of the wrecked boat near Cay Sal (Cayo de Sal), halfway between Cuba and the Florida Keys, and have gone in search of the rafters. They found thirteen, one of whom was dead, but neither the mother nor the two children.

Princess Margaret Hospital in the Bahamas reported on Monday that it had received three of those rescued for medical treatment, including due to Sun burn.

Bahamian authorities and the United States Coast Guard maintain the search for the mother, two children and two other Cubans, still missing. Arsen and her family are seeking to contact the rafters who were rescued by authorities in the Bahamas to ask them what exactly happened and when was the last time they saw the mother and her children.

So far this exercise, that is to say since October 1, 2020, US Coast Guard crews have intercepted at least 87 Cubans in their territory who intended to march on the beaches of Florida. During fiscal year 2019, from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019, a total of 314 Cubans were intercepted.

The Bahamas is a territory in which in recent years the arrival of illegal immigrants whose final destination is the United States. Most of the immigrants detained in the Atlantic archipelago are from Haiti, which has created a growing community of people in the Bahamas from that country who share the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.

With information from EFE

KEEP READING: