Cuban teenagers scammed in the Russian war give details of the recruitment

Two Cuban teenagers who were scammed thinking they would go to do construction work and were taken to Russia's war against Ukraine revealed details about the recruitment process.

Andorf Antonio Velázquez García, from Havana, and Alex Rolando Vega Díaz, from Santa Clara, said in an interview with the influencer Cuban Alain Paparazzi that there were three women involved in his recruitment and that they currently do not know how to escape the situation.

In their testimony, both young men acknowledged that through their friends they learned about this work option and, in the midst of their desperation to leave the country, they signed a contract to, presumably, work in the construction of trenches, but they never had many details.

A Cuban woman and two other Russian women were in charge of providing them with the documents and got them a ticket through the Varadero airport to Russia.

Once they arrived, they were received by a woman and a Cuban soldier, they underwent the expedited citizenship process and were taken to a sports school under the lie that they would be accommodated in a hotel.

Now, hospitalized, without their documentation and prevented from returning to the island, the two boys said that approximately 200 Cubans were on the flight with the promise of receiving about 200,000 dollars for their "construction work."

The young people stated that the contract documents never stated that they would go to Ukraine, however, after arriving in Russia, they received military training, underwent a medical check-up and were taken to the war line, where they slept in a trench and became ill. .

The women involved in their "hiring" withdrew the money that was deposited in their bank account with the justification that they had to recover the expenses of the trip.

This situation, however, was far from being the young people's worst nightmare, as both ended up fainting after several days in the trench. One of them, with pneumonia, went so far as to convulse and spit out blood.

In the middle of an inhospitable place, they were given weapons and forced to train while protecting themselves from drone attacks.

In their story they added that many Cubans became ill due to the quality of the water and the little food they received.

Now, from a hospital whose name or location they do not know, they report their condition and ask for help to free themselves from that situation. They say that they have been to more than seven Russian cities and that in all the medical centers to which they are taken they perform the same tests.

They said they could escape to Poland but they are afraid of being surprised. Furthermore, they do not have a passport because they took all their documents.

They also alleged that, according to what the authorities said, if they refuse to return to the war they could be imprisoned for 30 years because "they have already sworn" and will not be deported to Cuba.

The mother of the young man from Santa Clara, alarmed by such a deception where the boy's life is in danger, confirmed that the contract stated that they would do "forced labor," and he never declared that they would go to war.

From Mexico, the father of the other Cuban was concerned and asked for international help so that the young people could be returned to Cuba.

So far the Cuban government has not commented on what happened.