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| La esposa y la hija de Dayro Andino León. Foto cortesía de Alejandro Tur Valladares |
Like most other 18-year-olds, Dayro Andino Leon was determined to
find his own way in the world. For Dayro, that meant leaving his home
and country. Living in Cuba’s police state was not what he envisioned
for his family, especially his young wife and their 1-month-old
daughter.
So he did what so many others do: He joined a group of
neighbors who got on a makeshift boat that was barely seaworthy and
headed toward the United States. If they were afraid of the turbulent,
shark-infested waters, they did not tell their families. They almost
made it. But they were intercepted by the Coast Guard, just 25 miles off
the U.S. coast.
Cubans intercepted at sea are supposedly
interviewed by a member of the Coast Guard to determine if they qualify
for special consideration for asylum to enter into the United States.
Dayro had a good claim: He was a military deserter. The return of any
Cuban deserter guarantees imprisonment under brutal circumstances.
Incredibly, Dayro was returned to Cuba with the other refugees and, sure
enough, was taken by State Security thugs while the others were allowed
to go free.
At no time was he allowed to speak to or see his
family. He was transferred to the Red Beret Military Unit in Cienfuegos
province. His cell mates said that he was behaving erratically and
informed the guards, according to independent journalist Alejandro Tur
Valladares on the radio show Cuba Today. Dayro was not known
for that type of behavior. Could he have been drugged? What we do know
is that the 18-year-old was found dead in his cell, hanging from a bed
sheet.
It has been called a suicide, but was it? We may never
know. What we need to know is why the Coast Guard repatriated this young
man when they had to know that his fate was sealed upon return to the
Communist island.
Perhaps the Coast Guard official who interviewed
Dayro thought he was evading military service rather than deserting. A
mistake can be made if the interviewer does not speak Spanish well.
Someone who has worked closely with members of the Coast Guard tells me
that this is often the case. If so, the interviews leave much to be
desired.
Unfortunately, the mission isn’t to find asylum seekers;
the goal for the Coast Guard is to return all Cuban rafters to the
island. If Dayro had known that, would he have embarked on that
treacherous journey? Would he still be alive? His tragic death is one of
many thousands.
The number of Cuban rafters has increased
dramatically over the past few years. In 2014, 2,059 Cuban rafters were
intercepted in the Florida Straits. On Oct. 9, the Associated Press
reported the gruesome finding of four Cubans who had drowned at sea.
They were said to have been bitten by sharks, their faces
unrecognizable. These four are not unique, South Florida morgues are
full of drowned Cuban rafters yet to be identified. Experts believe one
in four die in attempts to leave Cuba by water.
One of the worst
cases on record occurred in August when 34 migrants were stranded for
one month on the high seas before they were found by Mexican fishermen.
Just 15 were found alive, and two died later.
Only the most
desperate flee Cuba this way. Others have crossed the Mexican border,
while more than 22,000 have arrived from a third country this year
requesting asylum. They leave for political and economic freedom, the
common denominator being freedom.
Too many young men and women
risk it all coming to our shores. Dayro Andino Leon had a better chance
than most because he was picked up by the Coast Guard. But something
went terribly wrong, and he was returned to Cuba where he died under
suspicious circumstances.
He was picked up but sadly was not rescued; that is something that ought to make us all bow our heads in shame.
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Desde España la mama y la tia de Dayro Andino Leon
Ana Grandia
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