Arístides Fernández García, the 37-year-old Cuban deported by the United States to the Central African Republic, managed to leave the capital of that country, Bangui, this Monday after nearly three months of uncertainty, illness, and difficulties in securing his departure. His final destination is Bolivia.
"My people, now I am really leaving. Health and blessings to everyone. Thank you for all the support you have given me to this day," he expressed emotionally in one of the videos shared on Facebook by Yasmany Moreno, another deported Cuban who remains in Bangui.
The recordings show Arístides saying goodbye from what appears to be the hotel where they were staying in the Central African capital, and hours later, during a stopover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from where he was scheduled to continue to Istanbul, Colombia, and finally Bolivia.
From Ethiopian territory, he stated that he was received by United Nations personnel, a gesture for which he expressed gratitude after the difficult months he experienced in Bangui.
"When I arrived here, the people from the UN were waiting for me as I got off the plane. They treated me quite well," he recounted.
He also expressed his relief at finding himself in a different environment: "Everything changes here. This is a pretty nice city, it looks quite modern, the airport is quite large, and from now on, you can already see that life has started to change a little bit."
His departure comes just days after videos circulated in which he appeared visibly weakened and waiting for medical attention in Bangui, while other migrants reported illnesses and cases of malaria among those deported.
Arístides was detained by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 6, 2026, after attending an immigration hearing in Miami, despite having a pending asylum application and a work permit valid until 2030.
During the following months, he was held in several detention centers, including the one known as "Alligator Alcatraz" in Florida, where, according to his testimony, he stayed for 96 days. He also claimed to have lost about 27 kilograms during his time in immigration custody.
At the end of July, he was sent to the Central African Republic, a country with which he had no ties and to which, according to his account, he arrived without documents or clear information about his immigration status.
"This has been a long adventure. I spent seven months in prison, almost three months here in Africa. It has all been quite intense," he recalled in his farewell.
Despite the joy of his departure, the Cuban expressed concern for the companions who remain in Bangui, including Yasmany Moreno, who has continued to denounce the conditions in which the migrants sent to that country live.
"I feel sorry for all my friends who are falling behind, but I know that they will also be able to solve their problems, God willing," he stated.
The case is part of the deportation policy to third countries promoted by the Donald Trump administration, which has sent migrants to nations with which they have no family or migratory ties.
Although he is now looking to reach Bolivia, Arístides holds onto the hope of returning to the United States one day, where he lived for several years.
"We are not criminals; we did everything right in that country, and I believe we deserve that opportunity in life again," he stated.
Este caso forma parte de una realidad más amplia que afecta a miles de migrantes cubanos. Sigue todos los detalles sobre deportaciones, políticas migratorias y más en nuestra sección de
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