Balseros (rafters)
The term Balsero - it derives from the Spanish-speaking word balsa for " raft " and is connected to " rafts " translate roughly - to use for those Cubans who try, the Florida road to cross from Cuba and the coasts of the United States to reach, in order to seek a better life. Many lost their lives. In general, the people fled for economic reasons and less political.
When asked about their reasons, most Balseros tried to explain their escape with the political conditions and the difficult economic situation in their homeland, Cuba. This gave the opponents of Castroism, politics Fidel Castro, as the main reason for their flight the bad form of government of the current management and the decades ruling socialist system, the sympathizers of Castroism made the embargo by the United States against Cuba, which since 1960 is in force, responsible for their difficulties. This blockade prohibits economic transactions between the U.S. and Cuba, as well as by foreign companies, which are controlled by U.S. citizens.
The flight of Cubans who disagree with their government, is normal. Another reason could be the North American policy concerning family visits and gifts from the already located in the U.S. immigrants and their family members in Cuba represent, although remittances are allowed. Other reasons are clearly economic: just like the Mexicans who emigrate over the Río Grande in the United States, Africans or Asians towards southern Europe to Japan.
The attitude of the U.S. government to the Cuban refugees is complex. The wet feet, dry feet policy ( Wet Feet Dry Feet - policy) mentioned policy allows those Cubans who make it to U.S. soil (dry feet - dry feet ) to remain in the United States, and those who be caught off the coasts of the United States (wet feet - feet wet ) must return to Cuba. Many Balseros who fled in their zeal to other countries such as Mexico, the Bahamas or Honduras were usually brought back to Cuba.
The case of Elián González
One of the most Balseros was the then six- year-old boy Elian Gonzalez, whose mother was killed in the common escape to Florida. The case grew to bilateral tensions between the U.S., where the boy found shelter with relatives of the mother and the Cuban government to his father, who still lived on the island, demanded the boy's return.
Both in Florida and in Cuba there was every Saturday and holiday rallies, where the "liberation" of the boy was demanded. By order of the Attorney General of the United States Janet Reno, the boy was taken out of the Special Forces SWAT from the home of his Miami relatives after they had refused him surrendered voluntarily. Elián was handed over to the Cuban authorities, who brought him to his father.
Other notable cases
Perhaps the aufmerksamkeitserregendste singular incident occurred in 2003, when a dozen Cubans tried with a Chevrolet built in 1951 to reach the coasts of Florida. To make the truck ready to sail, the truck was equipped with several empty tanks. The vehicle was driven by a small propeller, which probably a speed of seven knots (13 km / h) was achieved. The "Truck Balseros " were around 65 kilometers south of Key West by the U.S. Coast Guard discovered and returned to Cuba. The amphibious vehicle was sunk in the sea to keep it as it declared the U.S. Federal Agencies, any other escapees from Cuba could not serve as a memorial. A little later there was a similar attempt to escape, this time in a Buick built in 1959.
Movies
- Balseros (2002), documentary film about the Balseros
- Una Noche (2012), docu-drama about three aligned willing to Cuban youth