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Gregory A. Lewin
glewin@bluefieldspulse.com
Bluefields, RAAS-Oct. 22-As a black male or
female, traveling to and from the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is a
nightmare. You cannot call it a violation of your rights because you have
none. The color of your skin makes you an immediate target for unwanted
and unnecessary questioning. You are automatically viewed as a potential
drug trafficker no matter what your profession may be.
No matter how often you travel between the Caribbean
coast and Managua, every time you arrive at the airport you are asked the
same questions over and over by someone with a piece of paper.
Undoubtedly, they have no record keeping because they continue to ask the
same questions. Stupid questions such as: What is your profession, who do
you work for, what do you do for a living? Obviously, if you have a job
that is what you do for a living. This has happened to me every time
I’ve travel between Bluefields and Managua. First, you are completely
searched in Bluefields followed by the dumb questioning in Managua and
searched again.
My recent trip back from Bluefields was no different.
There were about ten passengers on the plane. I was the only black man
onboard. Mr. Sergio Leon, a reporter for La Prensa, was a witnessed to my
ordeal. I had one carry-on luggage, my passport and some audio CDs. I knew
the routine, so I was prepared to answer the same dumb line of
questioning. When we arrived, all the mestizos were let out. I was the
only one asked to open my carry-on bag, which I did. I opened the bag and
did not wait for the individual to ask for any identification. I
immediately supplied everything because I knew he would ask for them. The
interrogation continued, and I finally asked why was I the only one asked
to open my bag and questioned. His reply was, the bag is kind of empty and
we could not see very well through the x-ray machine (go figure).
The questioning continued, and I lost it for the
first time with this individual and told him that I had a plane to catch
to the U.S. and that his line of questioning had nothing to do with the
fact that they could not see in my bag. “You have already searched my
bag thoroughly why then the continued questioning,” I asked. “ I have
to go now so if you are done with these unnecessary questions I am
leaving, you have all my information so if you are done with me I have to
go,” I stated.” He said it was routine but what he forgot to mention
is that it was routine to question all blacks traveling via air. They
asked the same stupid things to the same people. You would think that they
would have a record of who travel often between the two cities.
My advise folks, if you are not in a rushed take the
road and avoid this discriminating act against us because of the color of
our skin. “IF YOU ARE BLACK, YOU ARE A DRUG DEALER IN THE EYES OF THE
NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT.”
Sergio Leon stated that he was exhausted about
writing about this particular issue to no avail. I personally know that it
will never change unless something drastic is done. If you can accept it
like I have come to, then just go on as you would normally do and be
prepared to answer the questions and be searched every time you travel via
air. If it weren’t because
of family and friends I would think it twice before visiting Nicaragua.
I spoke to some black students studying in Managua,
and they told me that on a daily basis they are subjected to the same
stupid line of question when waiting on the bus to go to school and to go
back home. They are also harassed when they visit the different shopping
centers on the Pacific. In order to avoid this they stay at home as if
they were in prison.
The situation gets to you sometimes, and it makes me
wonder about the humiliating experience the South Africans traversed
during the apartheid era when Nelson Mandela was jailed for standing up
for the rights of his people. We need to make our cause known throughout
the world. We need to bring our ordeal to the United Nations. We need to
ask the US black caucus to look into the matter and force the US
government to impose any kind of sanctions to make a change. Look at the
latest big drug bust in Nicaragua; all happened on the pacific. Not one
black has been caught with drugs, yet we are targeted and discriminated
against. The black students live in fear that someday one of those
unscrupulous officials may plant something in their backpacks. Is living
in fear a way to earn a degree? No wonder many of the students drop out of
school and go back home for good.
“Change will only come when we stand up and let our
voices be heard.” Gregory Lewin
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