33 Cuban Rafters Rescued in Honduras

A group of 33 Cubans refugees were rescued in Honduras, after a two-week voyage on a rickety raft, local media reported on Wednesday.

The migrants arrived Tuesday in the Baja Mar region of Cortes state, some 300 kilometers (185 miles) north of the capital city Tegucigalpa.

The Cubans, who were suffering from dehydration, were discovered adrift by a Honduran fishermen, who provided them with food and coconut water.

"We left our country because of the economic problems there. Wages are low and prices are high," said one of the migrants who was quoted in local media.

"We have been living a nightmare, and now we have reached our goal, which was to get to Honduras."

Officials said the Cubans will be given an unspecified period of time to file asylum applications.

About 700 people arrived in Honduras from Cuba last year, most of them overland from Nicaragua, and were planning to travel on to the United States, immigration officials said.