By LAMECH JOHNSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

ljohnson@tribunemedia.net

MIAMI-BASED protesters were willing to end their hunger strike today at the Bahamas consulate after Panama granted territorial asylum to 19 Cubans detained in the Bahamas.

Ramon Sanchez, president of the Miami-based Cuban exile group Democracy Movement, spoke with The Tribune yesterday when he and his organisation expressed gratitude to the Panamanian government for granting visas to the detainess held at Her Majesty’s Fox Hill Prison and the Carmichael Road detention Centre.

Mr Sanchez said once Prime Minister Perry Christie keeps his word to release detainess, their boycott on travel to the Bahamas will be “officially lifted” to the extent that it will promote the beauty and friendliness of the Bahamas.

“We are very grateful to the president of Panama, Ricardo Martinelli Berrocal, for stepping forward to help us,” Sanchez said.

“This was a major step forward in our movement’s campaign and we are confident that the Prime Minister of the Bahamas will keep his word to release them.”

“We have gotten 19 visas and we are now working on transporting them to Panama.”

Mr Sanchez said a demonstration had been planned for Monday (today) asking the prime minister to comply with their request which began in June in a series of protests.

He said it was now unncesseary with the visas being granted and all that was needed was for Mr Christie to keep his word.

Activists in Florida alleged that Cubans detained on suspicion of illegal immigration have been beaten by guards, denied access to adequate food, water and medical care, and deprived of the ability to file asylum claims while held in Carmichael Detention Centre.

Protests have taken place since June at the Bahamas consulate in Miami and near the piers where cruise ships leave for the Bahamas, drawing support from members of the US Congress.

Last week, dozens of vehicles drove through downtown Miami with signs protesting the alleged mistreatment.

In response to this, Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said Bahamians were “quite fed up with this attack on our country, which in our view is unfair.”

“We spend $1 billion in the Florida economy every year. What’s the point in trying to damage our economy?” he asked.

Mr Mitchell said the government had not received any specific, credible claims of abuse and no investigation was being conducted.

He said officials had looked into a video released by supporters of the detained Cubans allegedly showing men being struck by guards in the detention centre and determined it was “clearly a staged event.”

Six Cubans were moved from the detention centre to Fox Hill for “hostile behaviour,” which included sewing their mouths shut to protest conditions.

Mr Mitchell said two of the men had legal US residence status and are believed to have been attempting to smuggle other Cubans when they were detained.

When The Tribune contacted Mr Mitchell yesterday for comment regarding Panama granting visas to 19 Cuban detainees, the minister offered no comment.

Mr Sanchez, however, said that at the consulate, the organisation is willing to extend a hand of friendship where members will present flowers and sing songs at the Bahamas Consulate in Miami.

“This was never against you,” he said.

“This was to obtain justice,” adding that this, the first victory for them, was also a victory for the Bahamian people.

Mr Sanchez concluded that attempts were in the works to get visas for other Cuban detainees from two countries where one of the two “looks very promising.”

He, however, would not say which countries as not to jeopardise the chances of obtaining the visas.