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Hundreds of Cubans remain detained at a center known as Alligator Alcatraz in Florida, with no clear information about their immigration status and under constant threats of deportation, according to testimonies obtained by CiberCuba during interviews conducted via telephone with family members.
According to reports, there would be an average of 700 to 800 Cubans in custody, many of whom were transferred from different states across the country.
The detainees claim that they have not received official explanations regarding their legal status or the steps to follow in their cases.
They tell us that we are not going to set foot on American soil, one of them recounted in a call with our outlet.
He also reported threats of relocation to the naval base at Guantánamo, to Mexico, or even to African countries.
Abel Ducanses Ceballos, who has been detained since December 5, stated that "the conditions are inhumane: there is no right to life. We are locked in cages, and no one cares about us. The drinking water, which is the most essential, looks like puddle water; it's disgusting," he emphasized.
He said they live in cages that house 32 people.
"We sleep in bunk beds. We bathe and brush our teeth only three times a week. The place smells awful and there are outbreaks of scabies. We look like animals: with long hair, with beards, without basic hygiene conditions. The only thing that has happened is that we are responding like animals to animal treatment," he pointed out.
For his part, Endy Castillo has been detained for 28 days, even though he has lived in the United States for 20 years. He stated that "almost no one has committed crimes for a long time, and yet this is like a concentration camp. There are no humane conditions to live in. This is a punishment cell," he emphasized.
He mentioned that they receive "three meals a day: at 5 in the morning, at noon, and at 5 in the afternoon. The food arrives cold, and it's the same sandwich all week. The water is not drinkable," he expressed.
"The doctor only sees you after 72 hours. When you arrive, everyone is sick and there are no medications. We can't file a complaint. The place is closed within a two-mile radius. This is completely inhumane," they report.
"We are in cages, like in a concentration camp. If there’s a fire, we all die, because there are no fire extinguishers. There are three toilets per cage, and if someone needs to relieve themselves, the others have to turn around. The temperature is fixed at 35 degrees, it is freezing us to death, and we have to sleep with the blanket on," he pointed out.
Another inmate claims that he has been detained in Alligator Alcatraz for 98 days, and although he was supposed to be released after 90 days, nothing has happened.
"I was transferred through Louisiana and Mississippi, and then I was brought back here. No one has come to see me, nor have they explained what is going to happen to me. They want to send me to Mexico, but I don't want to go to Mexico," he explains.
"The worst part is the overcrowding, stacked one on top of the other, without proper hygiene and with terrible food. My family in Cuba hasn’t been able to talk to me; until now, I am completely cut off," he comments hurriedly as his 15 minutes of permitted call time are running out.
Among those detained are particularly sensitive cases. Some do not even speak Spanish, as they arrived in the United States as children during the Mariel exodus.
One of them claimed to have lived 40 years in the U.S., while another noted that he has spent 32 years in the country, having arrived at just 12 years of age.
The testimonies agree that every day new detainees arrive from different states, which has heightened the uncertainty within the center. They also reported difficulties in accessing legal assistance, stating that not all lawyers manage to gain entry to represent them.
CiberCuba will continue to follow the case and will broadcast live interviews, in which the wives of the detainees will communicate with them by phone to highlight their complaints and the reality they face inside the detention center.
Families demand clear information, access to lawyers, and respect for due process, as concerns grow over the fate of hundreds of Cubans who claim to be trapped in a migratory limbo.
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