3 – Fleeing Paradise

In 2004, I had just begun outlining the scripts for the video series “80/20”, when an event was reported in the world media which prompted me to change the opening program and begin the series by reflecting on the difference between the way tourists and residents view countries like the Dominican Republic.

On July 29th of that year, 86 Dominicans boarded a small wooden boat that had been hired to take them to the neighbouring island of Puerto Rico, which is only 100 miles away. Two days later, before reaching its destination, the boat’s small engine gave out. Its captain then hailed another migrant boat, boarded it, and left his passengers without food or water. The abandoned passengers drifted for two weeks, during which time nursing mothers were forced to provide breast-milk to feed the others. There was even talk of eating parts of the bodies of those who died. In the end, only 31 survived this ordeal, drifting back to the country they had tried to leave. 55 others died.

They were not alone in their efforts to leave the Dominican Republic. In the 10 months prior to that attempt, more than 7,000 Dominicans had been caught and detained while trying to enter Puerto Rico illegally. It is impossible to estimate how many more avoided detection, or how many others may have died in their efforts to make the crossing.

The allure of Puerto Rico is that it is a territory of the United States and has a relatively high standard of living. Although the per capita median income in Puerto Rico is lower than that of any of the U S states, it is still significantly higher than that of other Caribbean countries, including the Dominican Republic. Dominicans are drawn to Puerto Rico by the hope of finding better employment opportunities and even by the possibility of eventually being able to get to the mainland of the United States.

In a situation similar to that of Mexican emigrants seeking entry to the United States by means of local guides called coyotes, Dominicans make arrangements with a network of sailors who offer transport in small wooden boats known as “yolas.” The boats are often overcrowded and lack appropriate safety equipment. The 100 mile trip should take a little more than 24 hours to complete, but the waters are treacherous. The Puerto Rico trench, which lies between the two islands, is a geologically active area. Wave activity can capsize the small boats or wash passengers overboard. There have been records of shark attacks. Boats may have inadequate navigational equipment, and crews can become lost. Even short term delays can be dangerous because passengers may not have adequate provisions, especially water, to survive much longer than a few days.

These risks are well documented. Newspaper accounts of the horrors of the trip are common in both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. And yet Dominicans continue to try to make the trip.

Obviously the experience these individuals have of the Dominican Republic must be very different from that of the tourists who flock to visit their country.