Lázaro Cárdenas, a 61-year-old Cuban national, was recently deported from Russia after spending several years homeless in Yekaterinburg due to losing his legal status and lacking valid documentation. Once a fitness instructor and salsa teacher, Cárdenas had been separated from his family for over a decade and found himself living in dire conditions since 2021.
According to reports by local media outlet URA.RU, Cárdenas first arrived in Russia in 1986 to study in Magnitogorsk. He briefly returned to Cuba in the 1990s but decided to move back to Russia in 2012, where he began work as a dance and fitness instructor in Yekaterinburg. However, personal setbacks and worsening living conditions left him jobless, homeless, and without residency papers.
The situation escalated dramatically when police discovered him at a bus stop showing signs of frostbite. Due to severe injuries, doctors had to amputate parts of two fingers. Colonel Valery Gorelykh, a spokesperson for the Sverdlovsk Ministry of Internal Affairs, stated that officers saved his life by immediately transferring him to a medical facility and later to a Temporary Detention Center for Foreign Nationals.
Cárdenas's repatriation was fraught with difficulties, as he had neither a passport nor a return certificate. Tatyana Merzlyakova, the regional Ombudswoman, took a personal interest in his case, attempting unsuccessfully to secure documents through official channels, including the Cuban Embassy and the International Organization for Migration. Eventually, she reached out to the press for assistance.
URA.RU managed to contact Cárdenas's ex-wife, who lives in Greece with their children, and she provided crucial information and documents. This intervention enabled Cuban Ambassador to Russia, Julio Antonio Garmendia Peña, to facilitate the restoration of Cárdenas's identity. Two months later, through combined efforts of authorities, diplomats, and journalists, Cárdenas received a new passport, and his flight back to Cuba was arranged for April 8.
In a somewhat related incident, Russian authorities recently detained 17 Cuban citizens in the Krymsk district of the Krasnodar region for irregular immigration status. All were taken to detention centers, facing fines, deportation, and a ban on re-entering Russia for five to ten years under the country's Administrative Offenses Code.
Since the visa waiver agreement between Cuba and Russia came into effect in 2018, thousands of Cubans have traveled legally to Russia for visits up to 90 days. However, many overstay or work without the necessary permits, leading to potential arrests and deportations.
Understanding Cuban Deportations from Russia
Why was Lázaro Cárdenas deported from Russia?
Lázaro Cárdenas was deported due to losing his legal status in Russia and lacking valid documentation, which left him homeless and vulnerable.
How did authorities assist Lázaro Cárdenas?
Authorities assisted by providing medical care, involving the press, and coordinating with diplomats to restore his identity, leading to his eventual repatriation to Cuba.
What challenges do Cuban nationals face when overstaying in Russia?
Cuban nationals who overstay or work without permits in Russia risk detention, fines, deportation, and bans on re-entry for several years.