I guess the old fable of " when in sh$% don't make a peep" is spot on.

Amandala:

It was 5:30 on the morning of March 3, 2008, when Ambergris Caye residents Elbert and Kate Greer sighted the odd-looking craft coming toward their section of the beach. They were having their early morning coffee while getting ready for their morning jog in their north Ambergris Caye location, some 20 minutes from San Pedro Town, near Portofino Resort. Little did they know they were about to become embroiled in what promises to be an international incident. Then the passengers on the craft did a strange thing. They jumped into the water, with their clothes on, and began swimming to shore.

As they reached the beach, they began kissing the ground.

The Greers, astonished, met the group, and later posted at the Ambergris Caye dot com website that the group, comprised of men and women, were Cubans, who thought that they had reached the United States of America.

The Cubans became very disappointed when they were given the news that they were not in the USA, but in Belize.

The visitors were given clean, warm clothes, some money, and water. They were then pointed in the direction of the Cuban Medical Doctor in San Pedro Town, as one man appeared to have a serious wound and another, reportedly a woman, had fainted since coming ashore. They claim to have spent twenty days at sea in their efforts to get to Florida.

While initial reports had the figure of “refugees” at 13, it has since been confirmed that there were actually 17 Cubans aboard the vessel (12 men and 5 women). Belize has an agreement with Cuba whereby Cuban nationals illegally coming to our shores must be returned to Cuba. This is quite unlike the policy that is in place in the USA. Once the Cubans arrive on USA shores, they are granted preferential status.

It was on March 21, 2005 under the Musa Administration, when Belize police reported that seven Cubans, presumably fleeing their country, had landed on Belizean soil and were taken in custody.

The men were arrested on Turneffe Island. The “boat people” had told Belizean authorities that they left Cuba 19 days ago and were trying to get to Honduras. It seems they ran out of food and docked on Turneffe Island that Saturday night.

Authorities were alerted and the men were arrested as soon as the police could arrange the logistics. The men were transported to the Queen Street Police Station and the public was never fully briefed as to their fate. They had told police their ultimate destination was the United States, a country that welcomes Cuban boat people by granting them asylum, while refusing other “boat people” like Haitians.

Previously, on November 20, 2002, also under the PUP administration, seven Cuban men who had landed on southern Ambergris Caye near San Pedro Town were immediately arrested, charged and remanded to Hattieville Prison. While those seven men were seeking asylum, all were denied that solace, and were returned to their country of origin. The media was not alerted when and how the repatriation took place.

The new Government of Belize will be tested very early in their administration to see on which side they’ll lean in the tug-of-war that’s sure to follow. Politically, they are committed to returning the suffering seafarers to Cuba, but “humanitarianly speaking,” they cannot turn hungry, sick and weak men and women out to sea, in a long and probably fruitless journey to Florida, especially now that their escapade has reached the attention of the local media.

The international media will not miss this one, for sure, and the Cubans, without a shadow of a doubt, will find their way to the USA blocked.

But since the media was alerted the matter couldn't be quietly dealt with and now the diplomatic route must be taken.

See #1 article in today's San Pedro Daily

Cuban Boat People Will Get Send-off, Not Deportation

The 17 Cubans who arrived on Northern Ambergris Caye yesterday morning are tonight at the Price Barracks after being taken there this morning. CEO in the Prime Minister’s Office Audrey Wallace has confirmed to us that the plan is not to deport them. She says they have told Belizean authorities they were heading for Honduras, so their boat will be repaired, they will be given fuel and provisions, and hopefully, a compass, and sent on their way.

And while that may not conform to the letter of the standing deportation agreement with the government of Cuba, it is consistent with what has been the standard practice. A number of times in the past Cuban boats ended up on Belize’s outer islands such as Lighthouse Reef – and the BDF gave them gas and water, fixed their vessels if necessary and sent them off. And while that’s what’s planned this time, it might not be so simple. Seems their vessel which was adapted to run on a diesel car engine and we are told by our sources, is completely not sea worthy. If repairing it is not an option, they would likely have to be deported.

elbert did nothing wrong

I feel like i need to defend myself . I posted after the people where taken by the police. My game plan was to send them on their way quietly but another person went to bring the police to the scene.
We later we attempted to retrieve the Boat so they could continue on but he pulled it form the water onto his property with a tractor and is making some bizarre claim of ownership for it.
The publicity is all good at this point the more noise we make the more likely the attention will get this horrible policy and get it changed.

:-) can't say that little tank of a boat isn't sea worthy its had a great journey from Cuba and crossed over the top of the reef unscathed with a little bit of an overload.

This really isn't about individuals though its about the Belize Governments Policy and a grand opportunity for the new government to make things right.

This won't be the last Boat load of Cubans that come ashore here.

How about a community effort to raise the necessary funds to "buy' the boat back for those folks...so they can continue their journey? Any idea how much he wants to release it?