US Migration Policy on Cuba Is Discriminatory

Salvadorian Foreign Minister Hugo Martinez described the United States'' privileged migration policy on Cuba, with benefits that are denied to other nationalities, as totally discriminatory. The foreign minister spoke in those terms in an interview broadcast by Channel 10 on Wednesday night, when he was asked about the possibility that summit of the Central American Integration System (SICA) on Friday will discuss the situation of 5,000 Cuban immigrants in Costa Rica.

The analysis of that issue is not ruled out. We think that we can find a way out, through either unilateral commitments by the transit countries or bilateral commitments between the transit countries and Costa Rica in this case, he noted.

Martinez noted that his country's expectation "is that if the issue is discussed, it will be discussed with as much prudence as possible, because we have a very complicated situation of migrations everywhere in the world."

However, he added, it cannot be done in a discriminatory way, solving the problem of a group of migrants and turning a blind eye to another large group of migrants who are the Central Americans, who every day suffer from outrages, every day risk their lives and every day are returned to their countries of origin.

In this case, he pointed out, a solution is being sought that it is not necessarily their return to their country of origin. That is important, because it will create a precedent.

There is a primary problem there, there is a law in the destination country of those Cubans that is totally discriminatory, that will grant them preferences before the migrants from any other part of the world, and that creates a situation of double standard to deal with the migrants, Martinez underlined.

The Salvadorian foreign minister stated that "even with the complexity of the issue, we are willing to contribute to solving that problem in particular."

Presidents Raul Castro (Cuba) and Luis Guillermo Solis (Costa Rica) agreed in Havana on Wednesday to find an appropriate solution as soon as possible, taking into account the wellbeing of the Cuban citizens in that Central American nation and contributing to guaranteeing legal, safe and orderly migration.

In that regard, Raul Castro repeated that the "dry feet-wet feet" policy, the "Cuban Medical Professional Parole Program (CMPP)" in third countries and the "Cuban Adjustment Act" encourage illegal emigration and endanger the integrity of migrants.

He noted that those instruments discriminate against the other countries of the region and cause serious problems for our nations and the United States itself, whose governments have been responsible for the current situation.

On Wednesday, Solis concluded a two-day official visit to Cuba, after which, he assured, bilateral relations will be stronger.