We've heard of hunger strikes in prisons as a form of civil disobedience. Well, today, a Cuban prisoner at the Kolbe foundation took what can only be called a sunhot strike. That's because he sat in the scorching sun atop a 30 foot water reservoir and refused to come down until he got what he wanted.
Now this isn't quite like the last prisoner who climbed atop the reservoir and threatened to jump off to his death - this prisoner, Pedro Castro, wanted to see someone special. And no it's not Fidel! Monica Bodden found out who he wanted this special audience with:....
Monica Bodden, Reporting
He sat on top of this water reservoir all morning in the scorching sun waiting for the Immigration Department.
At one point he even waved to us motioning us to come to him. Of course, that couldn't happen because we were ordered off the compound and had to shoot from the roadside.
He is an inmate at the Belize Central Prison, has been for over a year. His name is Pedro Castro a Cuban National who was charged with illegal entry into Belize. He has served his 6 months sentence at the prison but is still incarcerated 6 months after his actual serving time.
This morning he decided to sit and wait on top of this water tank until someone from the prison called the immigration to come see him.
Earl Jones - Acting CEO - Kolbe Foundation - Belize Central Prison
"Yes, there is an inmate on the reservoir, he is an Cuban national who is here on an illegal charge. He wishes to speak to the immigration authority to know his status because he has already served his 6 months and he want to know whether he will be deported or not or where they go from there."
Castro, who is a Cuban National is said to have received US Nationality - but was deported from America. The prison says Cuba doesn't want him and he has no passport.
According to them if he is released from prison he has no country to go home to. And so he sat on top of this water reservoir in the baking sun waiting for some answer from the immigration department as to what is next for him.
Earl Jones - Acting CEO - Kolbe Foundation - Belize Central Prison
"Well he was working on the reservoir and he decided to stay up there and asking that the immigration officers come to speak to him, he will come down as soon as the immigration comes to speak to him. The immigration officer is on his way to address the situation, to speak to him and to assure him that they are working on his case whether they will deport him or give him status in the country. "
According to Jones, an immigration officer was on his way to the Belize Central Prison.
Earl Jones - Acting CEO - Kolbe Foundation - Belize Central Prison
"We had conversations with him. Like I said he was working on the reservoir and he decided to stay up there and ask that he speak to immigration officer. He is not a hostile person or a dangerous person, as a matter of fact he is working in the compound but he decides to go up there and remain there. He has indicated to me that he will come down as the immigration officer comes and that he has a conversation with the officer."
Life went on as normal at the Belize Central Prison - with no one paying him much attention.
Jules Vasquez
"Has his action forced a lock-down here at the prison?"
Earl Jones - Acting CEO - Kolbe Foundation - Belize Central Prison
"No, there is no lock-down, as a matter of fact we have Kolbe week of activity going on, where the staff is participation in activities, the inmates doing their chores for the day so there is no lock-down."
Jules Vasquez
"So everything continues as normal here at the prison?"
Earl Jones - Acting CEO - Kolbe Foundation - Belize Central Prison
"You can look around and see that everything is continuing as normal. Its normal business, that doesn't disrupt our activity, it's nothing hostile that we can say to call lock-down for."
And the punishment for this inmate's action?
Jules Vasquez
"Will he be placed in 'supermax' or face any other measures disciplinary when he comes down?"
Earl Jones - Acting CEO - Kolbe Foundation - Belize Central Prison
"Well that I can't say Jules. We will have to look at the whole scenario and after we conduct a proper investigation we will determine where we go next."
That interview was conducted at 1:00 and the standoff ended at 1:30. Senior Immigration Officer Horace Guzman told us he went up there personally and asked Castro to come down.
He did and Guzman explained to him that they don't really know what to do with him. According to Guzman, Castro left Cuba some time ago and those who leave the island nation for more than 11 months without official permission are no longer considered citizens.
Castro then left for Costa Rica where he applied and was granted refugee status. But he violated the condition of his residence in Costa Rica when he came to Belize where he was caught a year ago without papers. The Immigration Department is working with prison authorities to figure out what to do with him because he has no country.
