Cuban rowers defect to U.S. from Pan Am Games
ST. CATHARINES — The U.S. has extended a diplomatic olive branch to Cuba, but its door remains open to defectors from the island nation.
Four Cuban rowers defected from the Pan Am Games with the help of Cubans already in the United States, coach Juan Carlos Reyes said Wednesday.
Leosmel Ramos, Wilber Turro, Manuel Suarez and Orlando Sotolongo “abandoned” the team, said Reyes, who has coached rowing in Cuba for 24 years.
“There are (American) laws that benefit Cubans and they are actually encouraged to do that type of thing,” Reyes said.
“In that sense, we are special. We are the only country that is allowed to do that.”
The rowing team has received news the four defectors are in the U.S., and expects they will seek asylum there, the coach said, through translator Elizabeth Martinez.
He said the athletes got help from Cubans in the United States. He said Canadians are not thought to be involved.
“Despite the fact that Cuban and U.S. relationships are improving, the laws still remain. The U.S. laws still benefit Cubans and these are some of the consequences we may see. We have never seen any rowers doing this, but we have seen baseball players who have done this,” he said.
Reyes said the defections were particularly hard for the other rowers to deal with.
“From a human perspective, every human has innate values and we need to help out our teammates and we shouldn’t be drawn to engage in stuff like this because of money,” he said. “We need to naturally help our teammates, and this is something that obviously does not sit well with us.
“We shouldn’t be valuing money more than our teammates.”
Janet Dench, spokeswoman for the Canadian Council for Refugees, said it is easier for Cubans to seek asylum in the U.S. than it is for refugees from other countries because of American legislation directed at Cuban refugees dating back to 1966.
Neither the Canadian nor American immigration or border authorities would comment on the Cuban rowers, citing privacy regulations.
Because of the defections, Cuba’s Angel Fournier — who won the men’s singles final Wednesday morning — had to be quickly transported from the grandstand back to the dock at Henley Island to fill a vacant spot on the Cuban eight waiting to compete in its final.
Fournier didn’t seem shocked at the turn of events.
“This is the very first time a situation like this has happened to us (but) I am not at all surprised. On the contrary, we expected something like this would happen. The Cuban team is always prepared for such an eventuality and we took the necessary steps in order to be prepared.
“We have a strategy for this, however, I believe our goal was accomplished and we only had to withdraw one boat from the races. Now the Cuban team has high spirits and we long to return to our country.”
Fournier expressed love for Cuba.
“What I love most about my country is the system. The system we live in, we have undergone many years of revolution and we have been triumphant. I love the president and I love the people, and they are always expectant of winning results whenever we compete internationally.”
Reyes said Ramos and Turro dropped out before the regatta began Saturday, while the defection of Sotolongo and Suarez caused Cuba to drop out of the lightweight men’s four Wednesday.