By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
PANAMANIAN officials have yet to formally engage the Bahamas government after announcing plans to offer territorial asylum to 19 Cuban detainees.
The country plans to send a roving ambassador to organise resettlement, according to Honorary Consul General of Panama David McGrath, who confirmed that no direct contact with Bahamian officials had been made up to press time yesterday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, who has refused to comment on the matter, said: “I don’t want to make any further comment on it. The statement of the government is the statement of the government and we’re proceeding along those lines. If the situation changes there will be another announcement about it.”
Allegations of human rights abuses against Cuban detainees in the Bahamas were among the considerations that led to Panama’s decision to grant the 19 Cuban nationals territorial asylum, according to Panama’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The release was sent out on Sunday. Mr McGrath yesterday confirmed that the Panamanian government had not yet reached out to the Bahamas government.
“Nothing has been confirmed as yet,” said Mr McGrath, “I was told that somebody is due to come up from Panama to meet with the government sometime this week, but I do not know anything more than that at this time.”
“Everything,” he said, “is in process, as of (Monday) they had not reached the government formally.”
Meanwhile, Raul Sanchez, leader of the Cuban exile group “Democracy Movement”, said his organization will continue to agitate for the resettlement of all Cuban detainees in the country.
Democracy Movement suspended its nearly two-month-long protest and hunger strike on Monday on the condition that the Bahamas government releases the Cubans to Panama.
Yesterday Mr Sanchez said: “We ate a little bit of fruit, and some light soup with no noodles just the liquid. We’re beginning to regain strength, and still working diligently to expedite the process of the visas that have been granted by Panama. We’re also trying to work with other countries in asking them to take the rest of the people.”
“We’re doing our best to get everyone we can out,” he added.
Mr Sanchez said the decision to end the protests came after the government of the Bahamas agreed to reopen an investigation of torture in their migrant detention centre.
During his House contribution on Monday, Mr Mitchell confirmed that investigations into allegations made by protesters and detainees were continuing.
He added that the government had commissioned a formal probe headed by a former Justice of the Court of Appeal, and that punitive or disciplinary action may result pending the outcome of the report.
Comments
hotep86 11 years, 4 months ago
So the Panamanian Government releases a statement, with subsequent interviews to the press on the acceptance of detainees in The Bahamas without ever formally engaging the Bahamian Government?
That makes so much sense.
The Panamanian Government is participating in a public relations campaign. I also find it odd that the protesters claim that the protests were stopped in response to the government's agreement to investigate the allegations of abuse. Newsflash, the government has said on repeated occasions in any one of Fred Mitchell's ranting press releases that they would investigate. The protesters stopped protesting the minute their evil allies announced they would take them - that's all it was ever about!
Just get rid of them at this point, good riddance to all of them!
jt 11 years, 4 months ago
I'm sorry, but how is Panama an "evil ally"? I know the video was faked but how bad do conditions have to be at Carmichael for someone to stage a taping? I have never been in there but I know someone who was unjustly locked up in there and he claims to have seen a woman raped by three men. We are a tourism based economy, we had better make all of our dealings with humans from other nations at the least fair and humane. Plenty of Miami Cubans come here to spend their money. I am so tired of Bahamians being xenophobic and hostile to people less fortunate than us.
hotep86 11 years, 4 months ago
Do you really think the video was staged in an attempt to highlight abuse at the Detention Center? Or was it made by a few Cubans who were caught attempting to smuggle Cubans into the United States via The Bahamas and wanted attention knowing what the exile community in Miami would do?
No one is denying the issues at the Detention Center, and I'm sure no one disagrees with your assertion. The Bahamas is party to a number of human rights treaties and conventions that we must adhere to and, like other nations, we have our fair share of issues. However, this particular situation is foul, and a little research of history would enlighten anyone on how the cuban mafia aka the exiles operate.
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