HAVANA: On Monday, just off the coast of Havana, curious onlookers witnessed a strange sight: the Cuban coast guard apprehended about a dozen passengers carrying an American flag painted with bows from a blue homemade raft.
In Cuba, where many boats set sail in an attempt to reach the coast of Florida, homemade rafts are not uncommon. Over the past year, an increasing number of people have departed the Caribbean island by land, air and sea. The exodus has been triggered by a complex confluence of growing and overlapping crises in Cuba.
Many of these migrants, also known as balaseros, usually leave isolated areas of the island during the cover of darkness to avoid detection.
Also Read: German legislators are investigating an alleged far-right plot
Commuters were escorted out of the city's famous Malecon seawall, 500 meters from the US embassy, in broad daylight on Monday as a group of reporters scrambled to make sense of what was happening.
The reporters were then pulled by the Coast Guard along the Malecon and into a port, when a Spanish-speaking bystander shouted, "Let them go!" Much of the Cuban audience appeared puzzled.
Cuba's International Press Center acknowledged the incident in a text message but said it was unable to provide further details. In Cuba, basic information is difficult to obtain, and reality often belies perception. However, the incident happened at the very last moment.
Also Read: 27 bodies from Ethiopia have been found, according to Zambian police
When its coast guard collided with a boat carrying a group of migrants traveling at night, seven people, including a two-year-old girl, died last month, with the government denying blame for the deaths . Some survivors claimed that Sarkar rammed the boat several times.
Most immigrants attempt to enter the United States through Mexico. Cuba was stopped nearly 221,000 times this fiscal year, up 471% from the previous year, according to US Customs and Border Protection data.
The two governments, which have historically strained relations, have ramped up talks as a result of this migration and the reopening of US visa and consular services on the island.
Also Read: Jersey fire death toll rises to 5; 4 remain missing
The, and, an idea, is trying and and, and many., and, and a group of people trying Totoso and lawmakers left the island on Monday, according to US officials speaking to an AP . US officials also noted that one of the topics discussed was migration.