Cuban controversy: Namibia doubts US travel papers

GOVERNMENT yesterday cast doubt on the validity of emergency travel documents issued by the American Embassy in Namibia to 11 fugitive Cuban doctors in Namibia.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, Kuaku Hengari, told The Namibian yesterday that Government has no problem with letting the Cuban doctors – who have been in hiding for seven months – leave the country provided they are in possession of valid travel documents. Despite what Hengari says, a Cuban nurse was recently allowed to leave the country with the American emergency documents.In the meantime, for the 11 doctors it is a choice between jail and starvation; in their attempt to travel to the United States, they have breached their work contracts.The 11 doctors, who were in Namibia as part of an agreement on health between the Cuban and Namibian governments, are refusing to return to Cuba and have requested to go to the US as part of that country’s humanitarian programme.Their requests were approved.However, they cannot leave Namibia, as their travel documents are held by their embassy.Contacted for comment yesterday, Hengari said: “We are not trying to prohibit them.The only problem is with the modalities regarding their travel.These doctors who are trying to leave simply don’t have the necessary travel documents.If we allow them to leave and they are arrested, we might be required to pay some costs,” he said.”The legality of these documents are not known,” Hengari said about the American emergency entry parole documents.The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has given the Ministry of Home Affairs a deadline – which passes today – to allow the doctors to leave Namibia.Failing to do this, the LAC has threatened to file an application in the High Court to declare the bilateral health agreement between Namibia and Cuba null and void.CUBANS SPEAK OUT In an interview with The Namibian yesterday, three of the fugitive doctors, currently in hiding to avoid deportation to Cuba, provided reasons for taking the steps they did.”We want freedom.We don’t consider ourselves free in Cuba,” said doctor Juan Castro Rodriguez*.”You are not allowed to freely move in Cuba, not allowed to freely associate with who we want.We cannot accept this,” he added.Rodriguez, along with two fellow doctors, Margarita Perez Perez* and Juana Alvarez Rodriguez* all came to Namibia in the last two years as part of this country’s co-operation agreement with Cuba on healthcare, in place since 1991.According to the agreement, Cuban doctors are sent to Namibia on two-year contracts, and are often sent to work in rural areas where there is a shortage of medical staff.Last year, the three all abandoned their contracts and applied through the American embassy for asylum as part of that country’s humanitarian programme.The programme, according to the American Embassy, is an international parole programme, open to anyone from countries regarded as having bad human rights track records and who already have families living in America.’BASICALLY SLAVES’ Besides the conditions they’re trying to flee from Cuba, the three had some startling revelations about the way they have been forced to live in Namibia, saying that they were basically slaves in a democratic country.The doctors are paid a mere N$1 600 a month, they say, and furthermore are not allowed to accept gifts or other assistance.They are also not allowed to get married while here, and are discouraged from making acquaintances with locals.”The N$1 600 they (Cuban Embassy) tell us is for food and clothes.But this country is very expensive.If you are my friend and you want to give me something, they accuse us of doing private work,” Castro Rodriguez said.”You are not allowed to travel within Namibia unless you have been given permission by the chief medical person.Also, some of the members of your group are charged with spying on the rest in order to make sure that you don’t get into relationships with Namibians.I even need special permission if I want to visit you if you are my friend,” Perez added.Since breaking their contracts last year, the three have been living at undisclosed locations.”It’s a security thing for us.We are preventing something from happening to us.We don’t have work, but we’ll rather starve than go back to Cuba,” Castro Rodriguez said.”The Cuban government calls us traitors, so if we go back, we will spend the rest of our lives in jail, or until that regime changes,” he adds.* Not their real namesDespite what Hengari says, a Cuban nurse was recently allowed to leave the country with the American emergency documents.In the meantime, for the 11 doctors it is a choice between jail and starvation; in their attempt to travel to the United States, they have breached their work contracts.The 11 doctors, who were in Namibia as part of an agreement on health between the Cuban and Namibian governments, are refusing to return to Cuba and have requested to go to the US as part of that country’s humanitarian programme.Their requests were approved.However, they cannot leave Namibia, as their travel documents are held by their embassy.Contacted for comment yesterday, Hengari said: “We are not trying to prohibit them.The only problem is with the modalities regarding their travel.These doctors who are trying to leave simply don’t have the necessary travel documents.If we allow them to leave and they are arrested, we might be required to pay some costs,” he said.”The legality of these documents are not known,” Hengari said about the American emergency entry parole documents. The Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) has given the Ministry of Home Affairs a deadline – which passes today – to allow the doctors to leave Namibia.Failing to do this, the LAC has threatened to file an application in the High Court to declare the bilateral health agreement between Namibia and Cuba null and void.CUBANS SPEAK OUT In an interview with The Namibian yesterday, three of the fugitive doctors, currently in hiding to avoid deportation to Cuba, provided reasons for taking the steps they did.”We want freedom.We don’t consider ourselves free in Cuba,” said doctor Juan Castro Rodriguez*.”You are not allowed to freely move in Cuba, not allowed to freely associate with who we want.We cannot accept this,” he added.Rodriguez, along with two fellow doctors, Margarita Perez Perez* and Juana Alvarez Rodriguez* all came to Namibia in the last two years as part of this country’s co-operation agreement with Cuba on healthcare, in place since 1991.According to the agreement, Cuban doctors are sent to Namibia on two-year contracts, and are often sent to work in rural areas where there is a shortage of medical staff.Last year, the three all abandoned their contracts and applied through the American embassy for asylum as part of that country’s humanitarian programme.The programme, according to the American Embassy, is an international parole programme, open to anyone from countries regarded as having bad human rights track records and who already have families living in America.’BASICALLY SLAVES’ Besides the conditions they’re trying to flee from Cuba, the three had some startling revelations about the way they have been forced to live in Namibia, saying that they were basically slaves in a democratic country.The doctors are paid a mere N$1 600 a month, they say, and furthermore are not allowed to accept gifts or other assistance.They are also not allowed to get married while here, and are discouraged from making acquaintances with locals.”The N$1 600 they (Cuban Embassy) tell us is for food and clothes.But this country is very expensive.If you are my friend and you want to give me something, they accuse us of doing private work,” Castro Rodriguez said.”You are not allowed to travel within Namibia unless you have been given permission by the chief medical person.Also, some of the members of your group are charged with spying on the rest in order to make sure that you don’t get into relationships with Namibians.I even need special permission if I want to visit you if you are my friend,” Perez added.Since breaking their contracts last year, the three have bee
n living at undisclosed locations.”It’s a security thing for us.We are preventing something from happening to us.We don’t have work, but we’ll rather starve than go back to Cuba,” Castro Rodriguez said.”The Cuban government calls us traitors, so if we go back, we will spend the rest of our lives in jail, or until that regime changes,” he adds.* Not their real names