Cuban defector talks about his ordeal 

07:45 AM PDT on Friday, July 15, 2005

By ELISA HAHN / KING 5 News

SEATTLE – Maykel Galindo turned a soccer match into an international incident.

KING

Maykel Galindo

As KING 5 first reported Tuesday night, a Cuban soccer player decided to leave his team and defect to the U.S. after Saturday's match at Qwest Field in Seattle.

Thursday night, he spoke to KING 5 in an exclusive interview.

Maykel Galindo is the star forward on the Cuban national soccer team. He came to the United States to make a better life for himself and the family he left behind in Cuba.

Without a word to them, his girlfriend or anyone else, he made a run for it and never looked back.

"There's a saying in Cuba, there's a third shot and then it's over. And this was my third time in the United States," he said by interpreter.

Long ago he dreamed of living in the United States and, just like in the soccer match at Qwest Field last Saturday, he took the shot and scored.

"I thought about this a long time in Cuba. I have to be very quiet about it because friends and family, we don't talk about these things there," he said.

Galindo describes how Saturday night after the match he decided to make his escape. With just the clothes on his back and a little money, he left his hotel and caught a bus with no idea where he was going.

"I took the elevator down, I pushed open one door and it opened to the parking lot. I pushed open another door and just a few steps in front of me a bus was loading and I just got on the bus," he said.

Galindo asked the Metro bus driver to call the one man he knew in Seattle – Alex Zahajko, a high-school Spanish teacher and soccer coach who was acting as a liaison for the Cuban team.

"I asked him: Are you lost? Do you want to go back to the team? He said, 'No, I'm not lost, I want to stay,'" said Zahajko.

Zahajko took him in and helped him contact the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

New friends gave him clothes.

"It just hit me the magnitude of the situation. If I was somewhere not knowing anybody starting a new life, I just thought I could help him out," said Scott Hill.

Galindo has even gotten to jet ski on Lake Washington.

"It's outstanding. It's like having a friend who's never seen anything before," said Zahajko.

The hard part for Galindo was calling his family in Cuba to tell them his decision. They were heartbroken, but are beginning to understand.

"To let them know, I'm doing very well and I'm learning many things, and I wish they were here learning them with me," said Galindo.

Galindo has a hearing in immigration court in about a week. After that he may head to Miami.

It is likely he may never go back to Cuba, but he plans to send money home. He hopes one day to be able to play professional soccer again.

Coincidentally, another Cuban soccer player defected that same day. Yaikel Perez is another forward on the team. Galindo says he has not seen or heard from Perez.