Haitian migrant dies while traveling on a bus from Ipiales to Cali

On August 15, Cali Metropolitan Police reported that a migrant of Haitian origin, seven months pregnant, He died while traveling in a public transport bus last Saturday evening in the capital of Valle del Cauca.

Authorities said the woman was traveling with others 39 Haitian passengers and that they left Ipiales on the afternoon of the 14th of this month and their destination was Cali.

This trip, according to El Tiempo, was carried out under the coordination of a humanitarian cordon of the authorities so that These migrants can reach Chicó without problem and from there cross to Panama through the Darien jungle.

According to the testimony of the conduit, the course of the trip was normal and they stopped in Rosas, Cauca, so that the passengers could rest and eat. After resuming the trip and as they passed through the area known as El Pescado, the passengers told the driver that the woman was not feeling well.

Despite the woman’s condition, the lack of medical centers in the area led to the decision to wait for her arrival in Cali.

When they arrived at the terminal, the only person who did not get off was the woman and upon checking her condition, authorities realized that she had no vital signs. The body was taken to forensics where the baby was also declared dead and the cause of death is expected to be known.

The criminal group that led the uprising found no signs of violence, so it is speculated that the death could be caused by illness or other reasons.

Ivanov Russi, director of the Cali transport terminal, warned that on a daily basis at least 1,500 Haitian migrants try to cross the border between Ecuador and Colombia, with the intention of crossing the country and reaching Panama. According to information from El País, it is in the last two weeks that this humanitarian crisis has grown exponentially. The manager revealed that the migration of citizens is not a new problem, but, due to the assassination of Jovenel Moïse, president of this country, massive migration has been observed.

Russi’s biggest concern is the danger faced by migrants looking for a new country to live in when they meet unscrupulous people who can take advantage of it. Commonly, foreign and illegal citizens in the country, They eventually fall into the hands of criminals who engage in human trafficking, provide hacked transport and accommodation services, and sell illegal materials.

Irregular migrants crossing Ecuador, according to this newspaper, move along the roads of Popayán; Cali; Pereira; Medellin; and Necoclí, to its final destination, which, as mentioned above, is Panama.

To these data provided by Russi, there is also information provided by other media that indicates that the passenger transport terminals of Pasto and Ipiales have collapsed. Indeed, a hundred Haitian citizens remain there in search of solutions to help them continue their journey.

He was last August 5 when the Migration Office determined that from that date, the transit of citizens who do not have their passport has been prohibited.

“It’s a decision at the national level, we are waiting for a solution, we have spoken with several Haitian leaders, we hope that everything will normalize this weekend and there will be normal operation (…) we must be in solidarity and try to alleviate something in this situation, we see that there are minors, old people and pregnant women, we have provided them with food and basic hygiene services “said the director of this terminal, in statements collected by El Colombiano.

Precisely, around this space, and relating to the conversation what Russi said, the cost of accommodation and food has increased by almost 30%.

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