Cuban travel tide could inundate U.S.

[kskiska]

Source: LAT

The Spanish daily El Pais has given credence to rumors that have been sweeping Havana for days that Cuban authorities are about to lift requirements for their citizens to get exit visas to leave the Communist-ruled island. The newspaper quotes an unidentified senior Cuban official as saying Cubans soon will be free to travel without government permission.

In light of U.S. policy that allows most Cubans who reach dry land to stay in the country, revocation of Cuba's self-imposed barriers to travel could unleash a massive wave of immigrants headed for southern Florida if young workers eager for more opportunity decide to abandon their homeland.

Cuban President Raul Castro has invoked a number of popular moves in recent weeks making cellphones, computers, microwaves and seaside resorts available to Cubans who can afford them.

Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2008/04/cuban-travel-ti.html

[Newsjock]

1. Mariel Boatlift

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariel_boatlift

The Mariel Boatlift was a mass movement of Cubans who departed from Cuba's Mariel Harbor for the United States between April 15 and October 31, 1980.

The boatlift was precipitated by a sharp downturn in the Cuban economy, leading to simmering internal tensions on the island and a bid by up to 10,000 Cubans to gain asylum in the Peruvian embassy.

The Cuban government subsequently announced that anyone who wanted to leave could do so, and an impromptu exodus organized by Cuban-Americans with the agreement of Cuban President Fidel Castro was underway. The boatlift began to have negative political implications for U.S. President Jimmy Carter when it was discovered that a number of the exiles had been released from Cuban jails and mental health facilities. The exodus was ended by mutual agreement between the two governments in October 1980. By that time up to 125,000 Cubans had made the journey to Florida.

[Clear Blue Sky]

2. Hope it's not a trojan horse for another Mariel boat lift.

[Crunchy Frog]

4. What would be wrong with that?

I don't see any problems with Cuba taking advantage of the opportunities that our policies provide them. Makes perfect sense to me. :shrug:

[tomreedtoon]

5. What's wrong? Say hello to my little fren'!

Are you forgetting that one of Florida's most notorious cocaine dealers was released in that terrible event? Who knows what other criminals Castro will be shoving into the Yanqui's laps? These are NOT the people the Miami Cubans want to see.

[Crunchy Frog]

6. If they're not the people the Miami Cubans want to see...

all the better. :evilgrin:

Why shouldn't Castro shove them in the Yanqui's laps if they are open and inviting? I think it's very generous of our government to provide this sort of service to Cuba and Cuba might as well take advatage of it. :shrug:

[provis99]

7. not the people the Miami Cubans want to see?

why not? It would be more recruits for the Miami crime empires!

[Dreamer Tatum]

13. Interesting cynicism there

I thought Cuba is a socialist paradise, where there are two doctors per citizen, everyone has their
PhD thesis pretty much wrapped up at the age of 25, and Meals on Wheels dishes out seared diver scallops
with ramps and champagne truffle sauce for dinner and chocolate bombe with port for dessert. I thought
there was no crime in Cuba, and therefore no criminals, and Cuba's worst problem is the horde of Marines
at Guantanamo, just drooling to invade and build KFCs and Starbucks.

Why would Cuba need to "take advantage" of anything? I'm sure this whole can't-leave-without-government-approval
thing was just a misunderstanding in an otherwise perfect society. Not that anyone would ever want to LEAVE
Cuba, anyway. It's just paperwork, so future societies can have a complete picture of the stuggle perfect societies
face when dealing with the dreadful "Yanquis."

As you say, :shrug:

[Crunchy Frog]

15. Uh, because Cuba is nowhere near a perfect society.

It's a poor country with lots of social problems and few resources to deal with them. If some other country is willing to take in all of their criminals and mentally ill, they'd be fools not to take them up on the offer.

What planet are you living on that you think Cuba is some kind of paradise? And if that is your point of view, then why haven't you moved there? :shrug:

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Hey, that'd be cool.

I'm really, really, really glad that I don't live in Florida. :)

[elocs]

8. This could put the anti-immigrant RWers' undies in a bind.

So, they will have the dilemma of having to open Cuban immigrants with open arms in order to appease the south Florida Latinos while still building that wall to keep the Mexicans in Mexico. Their hypocrisy will know no bounds.

[XemaSab]

22. I was shocked and amazed when I went to the Tortugas last year

There's a little photo display with pictures of Cubans who have been picked up there, but the photo display seemed to be celebrating them for their perseverence and welcoming them to their new country.

Compare and contrast with how we treat Mexicans.... :(

[Lost-in-FL]

27. WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA!!!

:+ Stop making sense...

[postulater]

9. Can't we just build a wall around Cuba?

:evilgrin:

[bean fidhleir]

10. I'll bet half a dollar that the majority of Cubans aren't interested

or will become bitterly disillusioned and return home after a short time dealing with the gusanos.

[YDogg]

14. yeah. what the hell is there here anymore to attract people?

:shrug:

[robcon]

16. Easy bet. You're right: MOST Cubans will not leave.

An enormous number of Cubans, however, will.

[bean fidhleir]

19. "An enormous number of Cubans, however, will"

What was it last time...about 1% over 6 months time? One percent is about the size of the greedy-psychopath fraction of the population - those who are always out for Numero Uno regardless of what it costs other people. Such individuals do poorly in social environments and are invariably eager to escape to where their pathology can roam free.

But if 1% is your idea of "enormous"....

[robcon]

20. Wow! You not only supplied with YOUR response, you provided MY response.

Except that it is a strawman. You seem to be the kind of person who gets his/her rocks off providing both sides of an argument, so he can declare him/herself the "winner" of the argument.

Truly pathetic.

[bean fidhleir]

24. .

(not worth it)

[treestar]

11. How old is Elian Gonzalez now?

LOL, I would not be surprised if he comes back when he grows up.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Elian coming back here to live? Don't hold your breath.

I think that for him, America will be the place where his looney relatives kept him away from his dad.

[treestar]

25. By now in his teens

His looney Dad kept him from freedom.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. Looney dad?

Did you see those Miami relatives, that household full of loser drama queens? Did you see his dad, who had shared custody of him in Cuba?

I have my own opinions on which side was looney.

[ohio2007]

12. How close are they coming to announcing the physical death of Fidel ?

The US congress has been waiting half a century now

[Johnyawl]

18. This makes a lot of sense for the Cubans, if Raul is going to continue..

...moving Cuba toward a more liberal socialism. Let the dissatisfied leave before opening up the country, and there will be less dissent to deal with after.

[KamaAina]

21. Remember, the prime destination here would be Florida

you remember Florida, a key swing state in recent Presidential election years, like this one. I sure hope this doesn't screw it up for us! :scared: The irony is, if it did, the new arrivals would be left wondering what the hell was so great about El Norte in the first place. :eyes:

[XemaSab]

23. If they're left wondering what was so great about El Norte

then maybe they'll become devout Democrats. ;)

[Lost-in-FL]

28. Cuba is not closed to other countries...

only to the USA. They can travel to any other countries so long as they apply for a VISA. They can escape "communist" Cuba anytime if they want. They just need to enter any country other than the USA. :shrug:

[Kool Kitty]

29. Jesus, don't show this article to Lou Dobbs.

His head will explode.