CR - Border - Cuban Refugees Stuck in CR - Costa Rica at the Nicaragua border
The first 4 pictures are from the La Cruz Refugee camp when I returned February 2016 with a humongous bag of candy & a bunch of powdered drink mixes to share with them.
The rest of the pictures were taken in November 2015 when I crossed from Penas Blancas, Costa Rica into the Frontera of Nicaragua.
Prior to this crossing I was pissed off at Nicaragua - UNTIL I talked to people on the OTHER side of the border (having an OPEN MIND & listing to BOTH sides of the story) who ENLIGHTENED ME with the FACT that Nicaragua is THE POOREST nation in Central America & IF Honduras decided not to let these refugees in, Nicaragua - which can barely take care of their own people with simple things like water & reliable electricity & food - will be responsible for them. NOW can you understand a HUGE part of why they're refusing them???
I had seen in the media reports that these Cuban refugees were also the dregs of society - criminals & all - but the people I saw & spoke with seemed more educated, most spoke quite good English, they took a pride in their appearance, kept a pretty clean area +. Hats off to Costa Rica for feeding them & helping them as they can (& CR has their own economic crisis right now)!!!!
PLEASE - BEFORE you make judgment on a situation - have the decency to find out ALL sides of it!!!
When I was at the CR-Nicaragua Penas Blancas border coming back, I interviewed a bunch of refugees & MANY of the people I talked to spoke pretty good English, seemed educated &/or professionals - not the dregs I had initially heard of. These people had to have had some $$$ since it was VERY expensive to make this trip.
NEEDS: Though they were VERY APPRECIATIVE of the Costa Rican government - they said what they wish they had were fresh vegetables & fruit & ANY form of meat/chicken, bottled water (they're mainly drinking from hoses), sandwiches or even Arroz con Pollo or other big batches of food as CR has been great with helping but they're mainly getting just rice & beans. (I add - maybe people could throw in some treats like cookies, small juice or milk boxes, candy, coffee??).
Perhaps people can collect the excess fruits & veggies even from the local ferias & take them up!!
Also, donations of $1 per person which is what someone at the border was charging for a shower.
Most of them were moved to La Cruz & nearby cities in churches & schools when I returned in February. A few were still at the border.
It's AWESOME ALL of the 8,000+ Cuban refugees from this phase ALL made it into the U.S. via the "Dry Foot" rule!!
But now there are a BUNCH more Cuban & African refugees now at the Panama border at Paso Canoas but it doesn't look like Costa Rica will let them in & many of them have NOTHING.
Plenty of Expats pass through the Paso Canoas Costa Rica/Panama border when doing their Visa Runs that are blessed to be given the freedom TO stay•live in CR indefiniately without Residency by simply crossing over the border every 3 months, paying an Exit Tax & providing proof they're leaving CR in another 3 months.
Perhaps they can show their appreciation by gathering some supplies these people are NOT getting or not getting enough of - even if they're used - like shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes.
I visited one of the Cuban camps in La Cruz up near the Nicaraguan boarder & they also shared they REALLY could use TOILET PAPER, paper towels, towels in general, maybe a few brushes &/or buckets to help wash their clothes by hand.
I took a HUGE bag of candy (those huge bags you see at the feria made from recycled materials. El Rey has AWESOME prices on loose candy & I wanted to bring a little sweetness to their day) & a bunch of small & large packets of Powdered Drink Mixes! They were SOOOO APPRECIATIVE!!!
Just something to consider. Pay it Forward for how blessed we are!!
http://www.SarongGoddess.com/Nicaragua/BorderCrossing/CubanRefugeesStuckInCosta
Read MoreThe rest of the pictures were taken in November 2015 when I crossed from Penas Blancas, Costa Rica into the Frontera of Nicaragua.
Prior to this crossing I was pissed off at Nicaragua - UNTIL I talked to people on the OTHER side of the border (having an OPEN MIND & listing to BOTH sides of the story) who ENLIGHTENED ME with the FACT that Nicaragua is THE POOREST nation in Central America & IF Honduras decided not to let these refugees in, Nicaragua - which can barely take care of their own people with simple things like water & reliable electricity & food - will be responsible for them. NOW can you understand a HUGE part of why they're refusing them???
I had seen in the media reports that these Cuban refugees were also the dregs of society - criminals & all - but the people I saw & spoke with seemed more educated, most spoke quite good English, they took a pride in their appearance, kept a pretty clean area +. Hats off to Costa Rica for feeding them & helping them as they can (& CR has their own economic crisis right now)!!!!
PLEASE - BEFORE you make judgment on a situation - have the decency to find out ALL sides of it!!!
When I was at the CR-Nicaragua Penas Blancas border coming back, I interviewed a bunch of refugees & MANY of the people I talked to spoke pretty good English, seemed educated &/or professionals - not the dregs I had initially heard of. These people had to have had some $$$ since it was VERY expensive to make this trip.
NEEDS: Though they were VERY APPRECIATIVE of the Costa Rican government - they said what they wish they had were fresh vegetables & fruit & ANY form of meat/chicken, bottled water (they're mainly drinking from hoses), sandwiches or even Arroz con Pollo or other big batches of food as CR has been great with helping but they're mainly getting just rice & beans. (I add - maybe people could throw in some treats like cookies, small juice or milk boxes, candy, coffee??).
Perhaps people can collect the excess fruits & veggies even from the local ferias & take them up!!
Also, donations of $1 per person which is what someone at the border was charging for a shower.
Most of them were moved to La Cruz & nearby cities in churches & schools when I returned in February. A few were still at the border.
It's AWESOME ALL of the 8,000+ Cuban refugees from this phase ALL made it into the U.S. via the "Dry Foot" rule!!
But now there are a BUNCH more Cuban & African refugees now at the Panama border at Paso Canoas but it doesn't look like Costa Rica will let them in & many of them have NOTHING.
Plenty of Expats pass through the Paso Canoas Costa Rica/Panama border when doing their Visa Runs that are blessed to be given the freedom TO stay•live in CR indefiniately without Residency by simply crossing over the border every 3 months, paying an Exit Tax & providing proof they're leaving CR in another 3 months.
Perhaps they can show their appreciation by gathering some supplies these people are NOT getting or not getting enough of - even if they're used - like shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes.
I visited one of the Cuban camps in La Cruz up near the Nicaraguan boarder & they also shared they REALLY could use TOILET PAPER, paper towels, towels in general, maybe a few brushes &/or buckets to help wash their clothes by hand.
I took a HUGE bag of candy (those huge bags you see at the feria made from recycled materials. El Rey has AWESOME prices on loose candy & I wanted to bring a little sweetness to their day) & a bunch of small & large packets of Powdered Drink Mixes! They were SOOOO APPRECIATIVE!!!
Just something to consider. Pay it Forward for how blessed we are!!
http://www.SarongGoddess.com/Nicaragua/BorderCrossing/CubanRefugeesStuckInCosta
