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Five Cuban rafters die at sea in attempt to leave country

Mexico rescues 6 Cubans from drifting boat
Mexico Rescues 6 Cubans From Drifting Boat | Fox News

February 06, 2012 | Associated Press

MEXICO CITY -- The Mexican Navy says it has rescued six Cubans from a makeshift boat adrift off the Caribbean island of Isla Mujeres.

The Navy says a recreational boat reported the drifting craft. Photos provided by the Navy showed what appeared to be a sort of mast and sail, with inner tubes strapped to the sides.

The Navy said Monday the six were rescued Sunday and were slightly dehydrated. The men said they left Cuba Jan. 25, aiming to reach Honduras.

They were turned over to immigration officials.

Mexico signed a pact with Cuba in 2008 promising to deport illegal Cuban migrants. Before, Mexican generally only briefly detained Cuban migrants and gave them a 10- to 30-day exit order, giving them time to make their way to the United States.
Because the pact they signed for sure the Mexican authorities will deport them to the island of Dr. Castro. But at the same time the Mexico’s government is very critical of the US because it return the illegal immigrants back to Mexico since they have violated the immigration laws. This is double standard in their part. Mexican immigrants aren’t punished by Mexico laws when they are back, but the Cubans exiles are punished very harshly by the Castroit regime laws.
 
15 Cuban Migrants Rescued Near Puerto Rico; 1 Dead
15 Cuban Migrants Rescued Near Puerto Rico; 1 Dead - ABC News

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico February 24, 2012 (AP)

Fifteen Cuban migrants were rescued and one died after the group tried to swim to two tiny islands just west of Puerto Rico, U.S. authorities said Friday.

The migrants jumped into the water on Thursday as federal agents and Dominican Navy officers approached a makeshift boat that had departed from the Dominican Republic, according to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Three of the migrants were hospitalized, authorities said.

Agents arrested two men from the Dominican Republic suspected of smuggling the group to Mona and Monito islands, officials said. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Puerto Rico is seeking extradition of the two suspects being held by Dominican officials, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The rescue comes just weeks after 41 Dominican migrants died when their boat capsized in the dangerous Mona Passage hours after departing from the Dominican Republic en route to the U.S. Caribbean territory.

Cubans are generally allowed to apply for legal residence if they reach U.S. soil under the country's wet foot/dry foot policy.
More desperate Cubans trying to escape from the brothers Castro gulag. This never happened during the Batista government.
 
Five Cuban rafters die at sea in attempt to leave country

Better that they died out there rather than live to mooch off the American tax payers.
 
Another Cuban dies at sea, one more victim of the Castros’ tyrannical dynasty. The right to travel is a human right concept that most countries respect. The Castroit regime violates article 13 of the international declaration of human rights by restricting Cubans to leave and enter their country. This is the main cause of these deaths.
 
They have arguably the finest Health care in the entire World freely available (so long as you are a member of the Cuban Communist party), otherwise not so good.

Nonsense. Cuban hospitals don't ask for your party membership papers when you go in. At most they ask for your ID(carnet) and then tend to you.
 
i'm a lefty and i don't believe cuba is a wonderful place to live. they do have decent healthcare, however.

And those crazy Cubans still aren't happy. 'Magine that.
 
Those that blame the US for receiving refugees are like those that blamed the deaths of the Cambodians that fled the killing fields of Pol Pot's on the nations that gave them shelter. They too were denied the right to leave.
 
The Vietnamese regime is responsible for the death at sea of thousands of "boat people". The East German communist regime is responsible for the death of all killed trying to flee one way or another. The Cuban regime is responsible for each Cuban trying to fleei that died at sea.
 
U.S. Coast Guard Catches 13 Cubans
U.S. Coast Guard Catches 13 Cubans | TheLedger.com

Published: Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 10:00 p.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard has repatriated 13 Cuban migrants who were intercepted south of Key West.

Coast Guard officials said the group was taken Friday to Bahia de Cabanas, Cuba. They were initially spotted in a boat by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection aircraft on Thursday.

A Coast Guard boat took the migrants on board. They were later transferred to the cutter Nantucket to be returned to Cuba. They were given food, water and basic medical care.

Under U.S. policy, most Cubans who make it to dry land are permitted to remain. Those intercepted at sea are generally returned to Cuba.
. The Cuban escaping from the “worker paradise” is like a never ending movie. It is really very frustrating that due to the U.S. policy they are send back to the island of Dr. Castro. It takes so much desperation and courage to escape in makeshift rafts and near the end of the road to be send back to hell.
 
This is all the Castros tyrannical regime can offer its people after 53 years of rule. All they have left is more violence against the people. The regime continuous to stifle freedom of expression on the island, in spite of a much publicized releases of political prisoners.
 
AFTER NEARLY 24 HOURS AT SEA, 13 CUBANS REACH FREEDOM IN THE DRY TORTUGAS
Babalú Exclusive: After nearly 24 hours at sea, 13 Cubans reach freedom in the Dry Tortugas | Babalú Blog


DSC_4877.JPG
By Julio C. Zangroniz

GARDEN KEY, Florida -- A tired but visibly --and audibly-- joyful group of 13 Cuban refugees, 10 men and three women, reached the shores of this remote tiny United States territory on Friday, March 3, in absolute darkness.

Their 8:15 PM arrival, however, was far from a silent, stealthy one.

The very first shouts from the group, heard by a camper cooking dinner about 100 meters from their landing spot, left no doubt they were Cubans seeking freedom.
It is not common for a Cuban American to be there just at the moment that a group of Cubans refugees arrived to “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” I imagine that it was very emotional for the Cuban American journalist, a refugee himself, as well as for the Cuban refugees. Only Cubans know too well what is to leave under the oppressive regime of the Castro brothers.
 
To see more photographs of the events of March 2, 2012 in the Dry Tortugas, go here: zphotos' Photos | SmugMug, then click on the gallery called 12Cubanrefugees. Your comments are always welcome.

DSC_4873.JPG
The group of Cuban refugees pose in the Dry Tortugas (Photo by Julio C. Zangroniz)
 
Royal Caribbeans Allure of the Seas picks up 9 Cubans at sea
Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas picks up 9 Cubans at sea | Royal Caribbean Blog

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas picked up 9 Cubans in a small boat while on their way back to Florida.

Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said in a statement that eight men and one woman were spotted in a boat near the northern tip of Cuba at around 2pm on Saturday. The Cubans were brought on board and given food, water and medical treatment. The United States Coast Guard picked up the Cubans after a few hours.

The rescue was announced to cruise passengers by the ship's Captain while it was happening.
You can complain all you want about the US, but when you see what many Cubans risk to get away from the Castroit regime and to the US, it certainly makes you think about the freedom we have. My thoughts and prayers are with these people.
 
Rescue at Sea: Royal Caribbean Navigator Of The Seas on 5/1/11 (9 Refugees)

On Board Royal Caribbean Navigator Of The Sea
May 1st, 2011


Cuban Refugees Rescued at Sea and then LifeGuard came to gather them they are going to be sent back to Cuba.

This was VERY emotionally for many passengers include myself... I will never forget this moment
They have been adrift in this tiny raft for many days. The raft was making water and the engine has broken, and they have no drinking water left. One can only imagine what it must be like to be so desperate and attempt an escape in this tiny raft across the Florida Straits. No doubt they will be sent back to Cuba since they were rescue at sea. Hopefully they'll get lucky next time in their attempt to escape.
 
If cubans make it close to our shore and the coast card intercepts them before they touch land...they are returned to cuba...if they touch land...they stay..
 
A-Scottsdale man captures rescue at sea on camera
Scottsdale man captures rescue at sea on camera - CBS 5 - KPHO

Posted: Dec 21, 2011 12:01 PM PST Updated: Dec 21, 2011 12:14 PM PST
By Karla Navarrete - email
Submitted by Breann Bierman - email

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (CBS5) -

Twenty Cubans stranded at sea have been rescued by a Princess cruise ship on its way back from the Panama Canal. A Scottsdale man vacationing on the cruise ship captured the rescue on camera.

"My wife and I took a cruise tour to the Panama Canal," Nestor Guzman told CBS 5.

Guzman never could have imagined that after spending seven days out at sea, their vacation ship would suddenly turn from "pleasure" to "rescue."

"Finally the boat approaches our ship and we see 20 people there, 9 of them were children, there were three families in there, ages 3 years old to 80," Guzman said.

Members of the cruise ship helped rescue Cuban escapees who tried to make it to American land Sunday.

"And of course they were hungry, they had been lost for four and half days," Guzman said.

But being rescued doesn't necessarily mean they were freed, since the Cuban refugees never made it to American soil and were found at sea, they were returned to Cuba.

"It was good that they didn't perish in the middle of the ocean," Guzman said. "What is going to happen now that they go back to Cuba? All the dream lost."

For Guzman, an immigrant himself, this story of courage to seek freedom is painful to tell.

"To me especially, being from Latin America it was very emotional because I see the desire to go to the U.S. to be free after all these years, I'm sure all their partners were thinking about their children, we want the kids to be in America."
This is the video of the rescue capture by the Scottsdale man:
Christmas Dreams of Cuban Rafters Crushed By Cruise Ship "Rescue"
 
Many people believe Cuban rafters have it easy because of the US police of wet foot, dry foot, which allow the Cuban escaping from Dr. Castro island and reach US soil to remain under refugee status. It is cruel to send them back to Cuba after they have risk dying to get to the US.
 
Navigator of the Seas intercepts Cuban raft and “rescues” them
Navigator of the Seas intercepts Cuban raft and “rescues” them | Mikey's Cruise Blog

December 26, 2011 • Mikey

NBC Miami reports today that twelve Cuban migrants on a raft trying to sail to the U.S. were intercepted after Royal Caribbean alerted the U.S. Coast Guard.

Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas cruise ship spotted the Cubans today and radioed the location of the raft to the Coast Guard in Miami.

The NBC affiliate reports that one of the Cuban migrants, a 40-year-old man, had a foot injury and was allowed to go aboard the cruise ship for treatment. The U.S. Coast Guard sent a vessel to the scene and took all 12 of the Cuban rafters.

Under current U.S. immigration laws, the U.S. Coast Guard will take the Cubans back to Cuban where they will likely be imprisoned.
This is the second so-called rescue of Cubans trying to flee Cuban by s cruise ship in the last few days.
The Cuban rafters have faith in the US system, enough to risk their lives to get here. It is really sad that after so much that they have gone through that if they don’t reach US soil, they are sent back to the island of Dr. Castro, a hellhole place they want to escape from.
 
I think that the US police of dry foot, wet food should be modify to allow those who really want to come and become American citizens, to stop sending them back. Instead we protect others who only want a free ride to use the system to make money and go back to their country of origin.
 
From 1959 through 2010, some 50,000 Cubans managed to escape from the island, mostly by sea in small boats and makeshift rafts keep afloat by using inner tubes and disregards tires as floating devises. The estimate number of the victims is based in Dr. Armando Lago research, data from the Oceanographic Institute of the University of Miami and the University of Havana, and reports by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The .U.S. Coast Guard estimates that only one in four “balseros”(rafters) who have attempted to escape has been successful, 25% have been captured and many of them send back, and 50% have died in the attempt. The estimate number of casualties that died at sea attempting to escape is over 100,000.

Dr. Armando Lago received his master and doctorate in economics from Harvard University. He had a distinguished career as university professor, and a specialist in the field of international transportation. Among other things he was co-author with Maria Werlau of the book "The politics of psychiatry in revolutionary Cuba", 1991. His life’s legacy was to help build the Cuba Archive.

Just imagine if those 50,000 had stayed home, formed a militia and fought to make their country a better place.
 
Just imagine if those 50,000 had stayed home, formed a militia and fought to make their country a better place.
In the book “Unvanquished: Cuba's Resistance to Fidel Castro”, Cuban-American historian Enrique Encinosa, provide irrefutable testimony of how hard the Cuban people have fought against the Castroit regime. These other book by Encinosa, "Cuba: The Unfinished Revolution", "Escambray: The Forgotten War" and "Cuba at War", will provide you with the information of how hard the Cuban people have fought for their freedom.
 
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Oasis of the Seas cruise ship picks up 23 Cuban refugees
Oasis of the Seas cruise ship picks up 23 Cuban refugees - Overhead Bin

By Dan Askin, CruiseCritic.com
April 6, 2012

The world's largest cruise ship picked up 23 Cuban refugees in the Caribbean Sea on Wednesday.

Royal Caribbean's 225,282-ton, 5,400-passenger Oasis of the Seas was sailing from Falmouth, Jamaica, to Cozumel, Mexico, when it spotted a small boat, said the line in a statement. Oasis approached the boat and picked up 23 refugees, including 19 men and four women. (Thanks to Cruise Critic member bajathree, who's onboard, for the tip.)

Once onboard, the refugees received food, water and medical treatment, said the line. Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez told Cruise Critic that the new passengers were housed in Oasis' conference room with a few crewmembers until the ship arrived in Cozumel this morning.

According to Royal Caribbean, the U.S. Coast Guard was notified, as is the line's standard practice when dealing with distressed mariners. At the direction of the U.S.C.G, the 23 Cuban citizens were disembarked in Cozumel, where they were handed over to the Mexican authorities.

Refugee Rescue video


Passenger and youtuber Spensaf1 posted a video of the refugees being handed life jackets and then transferred from their makeshift craft to a yellow boat. One of the onlookers can be heard saying, “it's lobster night tonight. Going to be eating pretty well tonight.”
This demonstrates the importance of digital video cameras to bring news like this by common folks that happen to be in the right place at the right time. It is incredible how people risk their live in order to seek a future.
 
According to the report “they were handed over to the Mexican authorities.” This is a double whammy, since they will be sent back to Dr. Castro’s island. May God have mercy on them.
 
Boat carrying Cuban refugees docks in Cayman Islands
Boat carrying Cuban refugees docks in Cayman Islands - Cuba - MiamiHerald.com

By Juan O. Tamayo
jtamayo@elnuevoherald.com
04.19.12

A boat carrying 28 Cuban would-be refugees docked in the Caribbean island of Cayman Brac after it developed problems with its rudder and ran low on fuel, officials in the British-run territory announced Thursday.

Immigration officials were holding the 27 men and one woman and will eventually transfer them to the bigger island of Grand Cayman, according to Suzette Ebanks, acting spokesperson for the Cayman Islands government.

The number of Cubans spotted in Cayman waters, 125 miles south of Cuba, has been increasing in recent months, apparently because of food price hikes and cuts in state services as the Raúl Castro government reforms the economy.

At least six boats carrying Cuban migrants have been spotted in Cayman territorial waters since the start of 2011, compared to none in 2010.

Most of the Cubans left illegally from Cuba’s southeastern coast and were hoping to ride the prevailing winds and currents to Honduras, from where they would go by land to the U.S. border with Mexico.

A Cayman government patrol vessel spotted the last boat in late February, carrying 22 Cubans — 20 men and two women. But it was in good shape and the passengers had enough food, so it was allowed to continue on its way to Honduras.

Cubans whose vessels are not considered seaworthy are forced ashore. They can apply for political asylum, but virtually all are denied and the migrants are deported back to their island
The Castroit regime is in the list of nations that harbors and support international terrorism. The regime arrests, tortures, and murders those Cubans who pacifically dare to confront it. There isn’t a future for the communist system in Cuba. Basically all the Communist regimes arrested, tortured and murdered tens of millions of innocent men, women, and children and it was all for nothing. Practically all ended up in the trash heap of history, condemned for their countless crimes against humanity.
 
In the book “Unvanquished: Cuba's Resistance to Fidel Castro”, Cuban-American historian Enrique Encinosa, provide irrefutable testimony of how hard the Cuban people have fought against the Castroit regime. These other book by Encinosa, "Cuba: The Unfinished Revolution", "Escambray: The Forgotten War" and "Cuba at War", will provide you with the information of how hard the Cuban people have fought for their freedom.

Obviously way too many ran like cowards instead of staying and fighting or the Castro's would be in the ground right now.
 
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