The Bahamas tourism industry is experiencing the first fallout from Tuesday’s attack on an American reporter, as Latin American businessmen cancelled their trip to the country.
According to the Associated Press, a local construction industry group, composed of
about 750 members, joined Cuban-American activists Thursday in a boycott of the Bahamas to protest alleged mistreatment of migrants who pass through here on their way to the United States.
Association head Gus Gill also called on industry and community leaders that do business in the Bahamas to pressure the island’s government to improve its handling of migrant detainees.
The move came days after a Florida television reporter was allegedly struck by a prison guard in the Bahamas as he interviewed seven Cuban migrants who complained of abuses at the hands of Bahaman authorities.
The Ministry of Labor and Immigration said Wednesday the incident was under investigation. The country typically detains and then deports illegal migrants back to their native countries.
Gill said he hopes to meet with Bahamian officials about improving communications between, immigrants and their families.
“I’m trying to go beyond just saying `I’m going to boycott an event,”‘ Gill said. “We want to have a broader effect.”
Ramon Sanchez, head of the Cuban-American activist group, Democracy Movement, called for the boycott earlier this week to protest the treatment of Cuban, Haitian and other migrants who land in the Bahamas.
“The government has converted the mistreatment against the immigrants into a .policy of the state to dissuade immigrants from coming to the island while they are in transit,” Sanchez said before heading to a protest outside the Bahamas Consulate in Miami.
Amnesty International has reported poor treatment of immigrant detainees in the Bahamas in the past, including not providing enough food or drink, forcing detainees to sleep on the floor, failure to provide toiletries and restricted visiting and telephone access. Amnesty has also reported allegations of sexual abuse.
Source: The Tribune
