The group is challenging the fines in court, which is expected to make a decision either today or tomorrow morning. Unless the court dismisses the fines, the group will not be likely to return home on Wednesday as scheduled.
The Cubans were fined as part of a border control campaign conducted by the police, the Financial Administration and other inspection services, according to Nova Gorica Uniformed Police Chief Evgen Govekar.
The news portal of public broadcaster RTV Slovenija reported on Sunday that the folklore group was stopped by the police after having had lunch in Bovec.
At that point the head of the group realised that he had forgotten a bag with all of their passports at their hotel in Tarcento, where they performed at the international folklore festival Dei Cuori.
Bovec has hosted events as part of this festival for years and this was also the reason why the group were in Slovenia. Despite having been detained that day, the group performed in the evening.
From an earlier eventAlthough members of the festival crew brought the Cubans' passports to Bovec within an hour after they had been stopped by the police, they had already been fined. Moreover, the police seized their passport until the fines are paid.
The Slovenia-Cuba Friendship Association has expressed hope that the court will only issue a warning to the group, adding that an average Cuban would have to work more than a year to repay the EUR 500 fine.
"It is more than evident that the offence was perpetrated out of ignorance or carelessness and was in no way intentional. They had no intention whatsoever to harm Slovenia or its citizens," said association president Igor Jurišič.
He added that the group were definitely not able to pay the fine and would not be able to return home, their return tickets would expire and they would be left without accommodation.
Interior Minister Vesna Györkös Žnidar refused to comment on the concrete matter, while the ministry said that no irregularities had been found in the police's procedure.
The left-leaning Social Democrats (SD) and the Left called for the fines to be scrapped. Bovec Mayor Valter Mlekuž expressed disappointment and hope that the group will be able to return home on Wednesday as planned.
Govekar meanwhile said that the Slovenian police had dealt with Cubans wanting to request international protection in Slovenia in the past.
