New details about the journey in which Leosdel and Leosniel Oviedo Garrobo, the two-year-old Cuban twins traveling with their mother to Mexico, lost their lives reveal that the boys passed away on consecutive days and just before the Mexican Navy located the boat.
A reconstruction published this Wednesday by Univision, based on testimonies from family members, revealed the final days of the children and the dramatic conditions faced by those on board the vessel before being located by Mexican authorities.
The children were traveling with their mother, Yusimy Garrobo Leiva, 35 years old. Their father awaited them in Cancun, Leobel Ricardo Oviedo, who had been working in construction for nearly a year with the hope of reuniting his family there.
The vessel departed on August 11 from the Cuyo area, in Pinar del Río, with 19 people on board: 12 adults and seven minors.
What was supposed to be a much shorter journey turned into days of anguish in the Caribbean.
One of the engines broke down, and later the migrants ran out of fuel after having traveled more than half of the journey. They tried to continue sailing, but their supplies began to dwindle.
According to testimonies from family members, the 19 individuals had only two boxes of small bottles of water.
Days passed without help arriving.
According to the report from Univision and testimonies from family members, one of the twins died on August 18 and the other the following day, after several days without sufficient provisions. The family attributes the deaths to severe dehydration, although this cause has not been officially confirmed by the Mexican Navy.
Their father was waiting for them in Cancun
The Mexican Navy finally found the vessel on August 20 near Chicxulub Puerto, Yucatán.
Authorities rescued 16 people, including the mother of the twins. All were reported to be in stable condition after receiving medical attention.
The difference between the 19 occupants initially reported, the two deceased minors, and the 16 rescued individuals leaves officially unclear what happened to a third occupant.
It was after reuniting with his wife that Leobel learned what had happened with his children.
"The children were not there. He met with his wife, and she confirmed to him that the two little ones had died during the journey, apparently from dehydration," recounted Adacheli Sosa, the father's cousin.
Leobel publicly confirmed the death of his children on August 23. Days earlier, while still awaiting news about them, he had expressed his despair: "I am without life; I don't even know what to do."
The father also explained why his family had decided to risk crossing the sea: "Everything is bad in Cuba; they never let you live in Cuba, you can't live."
The survivors were placed at the disposal of the National Institute of Migration (INM) to determine their immigration status.
The death of Leosdel and Leosniel once again highlights the human cost of the dangerous maritime departures from Cuba. Just a few days before, two young Cubans aged 17 and 19 lost their lives following the sinking of another vessel in Sandino, Pinar del Río.
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