14ymedio, Ángel Salinas, Mexico City, 8 August 2024 — Last Friday, in the company of his sister and uncle, the Cuban Yeison Cedeño López went to the offices of the Mexican Refugee Assistance Commission (COMAR) of Tapachulas, in the state of Chiapas, to apply for asylum from the Mexican Government. The officials, however, warned him that they would only let him do so it if his intention was to “stay in Mexico,” since the application to apply for asylum to the United States from that state – recently announced by the authorities – is not yet available.
Cedeño and his family have been in the state bordering Guatemala for almost three months, and during that time they have made several requests to allow them to stay in Mexican territory and prevent them from being deported, but dealing with the institutions has not been easy. To begin with, Cedeño had to protect himself from being arrested and deported. Each amparo (protection order) cost 1,350 Mexican pesos (71 dollars), and the money is due on August 17.
“They had us waiting for three hours and when we entered we filled out a few sheets. They gave us a copy and asked us to return in three months,” Cedeño tells 14ymedio.
Cedeño’s goal is to reach the United States. “I have a sister in Utah. She is helping us, and with the work we’re doing here and her help, we have enough to eat and can cover accommodation,” he says. He recently learned that the U.S. Government’s CBP One