Santollo Family
Darielvis, Danna, and Yermis in Lethbridge. Photography by Tanya Plonka.
Content warning: gun violence, medical trauma.
In August of 2021, Yermis Santollo migrated from Venezuela to Trinidad and Tobago by boat, as he and his family were struggling in a cramped, multi-generational home, and there were better work opportunities in Trinidad. Yermis journeyed with his father-in-law, while his wife, Darielvis, stayed behind with their daughter, Danna, and baby boy, Yaelvis.
Yermis was in Trinidad for six months, collecting enough money for Darielvis, Danna, and Yaelvis to join him. He’s a skilled farm worker but did all kinds of odd jobs during this time—whatever it took to save money to allow his family to join him. Even with all their savings and some borrowed funds, it wasn’t enough to afford transport. So Darielvis gave the migrant ship captain her cell phone as a partial payment. In total, transport for the journey cost the family about $600 USD.
In February of 2022, Darielvis, Danna, and Yaelvis undertook the 40-minute boat trip to the Trinidad border. There were 37 people on the boat from Venezuela to Trinidad, and more than half of them were children, ranging in age from infants to older teens. All of them were unarmed migrants fleeing for safety and better work opportunities. In the cover of darkness, as the journey was about halfway over, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) opened fire on their boat with no cause or warning. The TTCG routinely patrols those waters for migrant ships and is often violent towards refugees just looking for a better life. The bullets were flying, and while Darielvis was nursing baby Yaelvis, she felt him go limp in her arms. The one-year-old boy died immediately, while Darielvis was also struck by a bullet in the arm. Everyone else on the boat was able to avoid injury.
Once the TTCG boarded the migrant vessel with flashlights and realized the horror of what they had done, they fled back to their ship. Darielvis could smell alcohol on them. The officer in charge lashed out at the migrants, berating them, cursing at them, and blaming them for the child's death. They were all taken aboard the Coast Guard vessel. Most likely, the other migrants were threatened into silence—all were deported within a few days, making Darielvis the only witness to the horrible crime. She was grabbed by the hair, separated from her daughter and baby son, and dragged aboard the Coast Guard ship. That was the last time she ever saw her baby.
Darielvis was hospitalized at Sangre Grande Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago, and no one would treat her except one Venezuelan doctor. This doctor noticed that the Coast Guard had attempted to give her anti-coagulants to make her more likely to bleed out. After the doctor was finally allowed to do surgery (two weeks after the events at sea), they immediately arrested her and took her to the police station. But she fainted getting out of the ambulance, fell, and her wound reopened, so she was returned to the hospital. That same day, Yermis was burying their baby, while Darielvis was not allowed to attend the funeral for her son.
Their daughter Danna, meanwhile, was separated from her parents for most of that time. She was being held in prison. When she was reunited with Yermis, her stomach was swollen with parasites. Her frightened parents don’t know all of what happened to her during that time.
It took even longer for Darielvis to be reunited with Yermis and Danna. Once the three were all together and mourning the unimaginable loss of their son, they mustered the strength to carry on and were able to go into hiding in Trinidad. The TTCG was looking for them to silence them, so they stayed on the move, never staying in one place for long.
About a month after the incident, their journey to Lethbridge began. Three applications for asylum went out: Canada, Australia, and the United States. Media outcry brought their case to Canada’s attention, and Canada was the first to step up and offer them refugee status to get them out of Trinidad.
Their new life in Canada still came with its share of challenges. The family assumed they were going to Calgary, as the Venezuelan lawyer helping them with their case against the TTCG is based in Calgary. But, they had a better chance of receiving prompt immigration services and support in Lethbridge.
They had to undergo an intense adjustment period in Lethbridge and had a bit of bad luck here as well. During their temporary stay in a motel, while LFS located them permanent housing, Lethbridge Police were frequently at the motel at night for other reasons, which was very frightening for the family. Darielvis couldn’t sleep due to their past trauma and is understandably scared of people in uniform. Despite everyone’s best intentions, they were re-traumatized by these nightly experiences with local police.
Darielvis and Yermis were gifted bicycles our local Canadian Tire North Lethbridge, so they can join Danna (who already has one) in cycling as a family activity.
Despite all the Santollo family has experienced, they now feel safe and comfortable in Lethbridge and want to stay. Danna just turned four and had her first (of many) birthday celebration in Canada. They have a safe home to live in, Yermis is employed and planning to take welding courses, and Darielvis is in English classes. They have hope and see a future here. Due to the lack of medical care after the trauma she experienced, Darielvis still can’t lift her injured arm a year later—but she is undergoing physiotherapy to improve her strength and mobility. They have the support of LFS and our beautiful community.
Parts of their story are still challenging because they have family back home in Venezuela. Darielvis’ mother died of cancer when Darielvis was young, but the family would like to bring her father to Canada. Going back to Venezuela to visit isn’t feasible right now—until they have Canadian passports, it would be too dangerous. They are attempting legal recourse, but the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard wants to sweep these events under the rug. The TTCG lawyers are trying to fast-track the proceedings without including the family or allowing Darielvis or other crucial witnesses to testify.
LFS has helped the family integrate into Canadian culture and has helped them survive and thrive in our community. But you can help too. Sharing this story will help this family in their pursuit of justice. They would also benefit from additional legal assistance, particularly from international lawyers who specialize in human rights or have experience in human rights cases. This case could go a long way in protecting the rights of migrants making similar journeys. If you have connections or know ways to help these amazing and resilient humans, please contact us.
