Cuban moms charged for escape attempt

Cuban moms charged for escape attempt

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) -- Seven women whose attempt to leave the island with
their children was frustrated when Cuban coast guard officials opened
fire on their alleged smugglers will be tried in court for endangering
their children's lives, state media reported Monday.

The Communist Party daily Granma said the seven children, ages 1 to 14,
had to walk through swampy terrain plagued with mosquitoes and were
without water or food for two days before April 5, when they were to be
picked up by migrant smugglers in the western province of Pinar del Rio.

"Once again it has been exposed how irresponsible and unscrupulous
people put the lives of their children in twice as much danger: to drown
during their voyage or get sick because of the bad environment chosen by
the smugglers," Granma said.

The newspaper offered no details on the specific charges against the
women or when they would be tried.

The women and children were part of a group with 25 other adults who
were to be ferried out of the country on a 40-foot (12-meter) speedboat.

Cuban coast guard officials opened fire on the three-man crew operating
the vessel after they did not obey an order to stop, killing one and
wounding the other two.

Authorities temporarily took the would-be-migrants into custody for
questioning.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/04/17/cuba.women.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest