Cuban-Canadians Deny Pressuring WYD Pilgrims To Defect

TORONTO, Aug 9, 02 (CWNews.com) - A Canadian Cuban group on Thursday denied that they encouraged Cubans attending World Youth Day in Toronto to defect, but said that once the decision had been made they offered their assistance.

The Cuban Canadian Foundation said at least 12 Cubans contacted them during the week of World Youth Day celebrations last month, saying they wanted to defect. About two dozen Cuban pilgrims defected during the papal Mass on July 28.

Leaders of the Catholic Church in Cuba and Canadian organizers of World Youth Day both decried the defections and said they were inappropriate. Earlier this week, Bishop Carlos Baladron, who led the Cuban delegation of 200 to WYD, accused anti-Castro Cuban expatriates of pressuring the pilgrims to defect.

Ismael Sambra, president of the Cuban Canadian Foundation, denied the charge and said the pilgrims had made their decision months ago while in Cuba. He added that once his group was contacted in Toronto, they provided safe houses, clothing, and legal assistance.

«In the beginning, we knew of at least 12 who planned to defect,» he said. Those pilgrims had contacts - apparently from relatives and supporters-- and those contacts, Sambra said, got in touch with his organization. He said that the pilgrims slipped away from their Cuban government watchers on their own and made their way to the safe houses. At least five others tried to get away, but were not successful, he said.