Despite the release of the two Cuban dentists from the Detention Centre on Tuesday, Cuban-American exile groups in Florida said yesterday they would continue their campaign against The Bahamas in a push for improved conditions at the Carmichael Road facility.
The groups have already staged a number of protests in South Florida, in their call for tourists to boycott The Bahamas until the government ensures that human rights are "respected" at the centre.
Ramon Sanchez, President of Moviemiento Democracia, in an interview with The Bahama Journal yesterday, stressed that their campaign would not let up.
"We will continue [the campaign] until we hear from the government, a position that it will do something effective to make sure that the human rights are respected at the detention centre," said Mr. Sanchez.
"We are eager to end the campaign. We do not like this. We have only done this after we have knocked on the door many, many, many times but we haven't been heard. This is a very, very important first step, but it's not sufficient because we still need to know what is going to happen to the rest of the people, how are they going to be treated and how the facilities will be equipped [to improve the conditions]."
David Gonzalez-Mejias and Marialis Darias-Mesa were released to the U.S. after being escorted to Jamaica by a pair of Bahamas immigration officials, and then flown to Fort Lauderdale, where they were reunited with family members.
Drs. Gonzalez-Mejias and Darias-Mesa had been held at the centre since April 2005, when a boat carrying them and 16 other Cuban migrants stalled in Bahamian waters. They were picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard and handed over to Bahamian authorities.
Carlos Delgado, of Agenda: Cuba, also welcomed the release of the dentists, however he told The Journal that the group would like to see a general improvement of conditions at the centre.
"I really believe that this is a positive step. What we would really like to see is the betterment of the conditions [at the centre] in general, not only the release of a couple of Cubans, but [an improvement of] the living conditions in the detention centre for other nationals, like the Haitians who rarely have a voice to defend them," said Mr. Delgado. "We would like to see that in general."
While members of both groups acknowledged the Bahamas' rights as a sovereign nation and do not question its right to detain illegal immigrants, they claim that the reports of abuses at the centre are real and "are not being made up."
According to Mr. Sanchez, a number of his group's members have visited the detention centre and have seen first-hand the conditions at the facility.
He noted that the group has also received reports from former detainees and pointed to the report of the alleged beating of a Miami journalist by a guard posted at the centre.
"This is not something we are making up. This is a reality and this is totally unacceptable and it needs to be changed. That's all we ask for, to treat people humanely. Laws need to be respected. We respect that the Bahamas is a sovereign nation and it must do what it thinks is in the best interest of the country, but we all need to respect human rights," said Mr. Sanchez.
Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said in an earlier interview with The Bahama Journal that the Carmichael Road Detention Centre is a humane facility and is similar to detention centres in the United States.
Mr. Delgado said that Agenda: Cuba would like to discuss ways of improving living conditions at the centre with the Bahamian government. "That is the main concern, there have been reports of abuses and very inhumane treatment of some of the [detainees]."
Mr. Sanchez said that his group would delay any future protests, in light of the "goodwill" demonstrated by The Bahamas through the release of the dentists.
"We hope that we can work together with The Bahamas to put this behind us," said Mr. Sanchez.
"If the steps are taken [to improve conditions at the centre] we will immediately begin asking people to visit The Bahamas again to make sure we help heal all the wounds that have been produced because of this unfortunate incident."
By: Erica Wells, The Bahama Journal
