Mexico, Central America set plan for Cuban migrants

December 29, 2015 11:00 pm • Last Updated: December 30, 2015 1:39 pm

By E. Eduardo Castillo, Associated Press

In this Nov. 21, 2015 file photo, a Cuban woman migrant uses her cell phone while other Cubans sleep, outside of the border control building in Penas Blancas, Costa Rica, on the border with Nicaragua which closed its borders to Cuban migrants. The Costa Rican Foreign Ministry said in a Dec. 28 statement that the first humanitarian transfer will airlift the Cuban migrants from that country to El Salvador in January. From there they will continue by bus toward Mexico. The number of Cubans stranded in Costa Rica has reached at least 8,000 since neighboring Nicaragua closed its border to them weeks ago. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix, File)

MEXICO CITY — Authorities from Mexico and Central America are putting the final touches on a plan to move Cuban migrants from Costa Rica to Mexico as early as next week.

Officials from governments throughout the region say a pilot effort will move the first group of 250 Cubans by air and bus to Mexico.

The officials would not be quoted by name on the discussions. But they said this week the effort could start January 7 or 8.

About 8,000 Cubans have been stranded in Costa Rica since Nicaragua closed its border to them weeks ago.

The humanitarian transfer will airlift Cubans from Costa Rica to El Salvador, from where they will continue by bus toward Mexico. They are then expected to head to the U.S. border.

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