ON March 17, 2020, five Cubans were placed before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, having been charged with illegal entry into Guyana.

The group of five consisted of three males and two females. It included 35-year-old Edward Hidalgo Rodriguez, 20-year-old Marianne Magalys Campbell Perez, 32-year-old Lazaro Luis De La Torre Acosta, and 34-year-old Eduardo Hidalgo Rodriguez.

The charge alleged that, all five Cubans, on Sunday, March 15, 2020, at Springlands, Corentyne, entered Guyana by sea and ‘disembarked’ without the consent of an immigration officer.

The Cubans pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor objected to the defendants being granted bail, based on the fact that the defendants are of a different nationality and that they did not have a local address. Thus, they should be considered flight risks.

Chief Magistrate McLennan proceeded to remand the Cubans until the next court date at the Springlands Magistrate Court.

The matter was adjourned until March 23, 2020.