Cuba

The Cuban Exiles and US Politics

Exiles

• Who are they?– “Political Refugees”– Wealthy families– Anti-Communists– “Undesirables”

Why they left Cuba

• Castro to Power 1959• 1960-1962 - 14,000 children• Pedro Pan

• Freedom Flights• http://www.wpbt2.org/suitcase/

Bay of Pigs

Bays of Pigs and Kennedy

• April 17, 1961 invasion of Cuba• 1200 exiles detained• 118 killed• Considered unsuccessful• Strained relationship between Kennedy/Dems

and American Cubans

Mariel Boat Lift

Mariel Boat Lift

• Started April 20, 1980• Proclaimed by Fidel Castro• 125,000 Cubans fled to Florida• Problems for Pres. Jimmy Carter• 17,000 exiles jailed• 587 detained• New tension between U.S. and Cuba

Mariel Boat Lift cont’d

• Carter and Castro wanted improved relations• U.S.: Interests Section in Havana• Cuba: Interests Section in Washington• Ended October 31, 1980

Elian Gonzalez

Elian Gonzalez

• Came to U.S. November 1999• Clinton and Janet Reno authorized raid• Sent Gonzalez back to Cuba 2000• Strained relationship between Clinton/Dems

and American Cubans• Sent back to Cuba June 2000• Raid

Cuban American Political History• Cuban Americans vote Republican.• 1988 election - 78% voted for Republican candidates. • 1992 election - 70% voted for then-President George

Bush.

• CANF is most important Cuban American political organization.– Cuban Democracy Act in 1992.– The Helms-Burton Act in 1996.– CANF sponsors research on Cuba and Cuban Americans,

raises money for political purposes, and lobbies elected officials.

Cuban Committee for Democracy

• Founded in 1993 by a group of progressive Cuban–Americans in Miami and Washington, D.C.

• CCD is not a political party.

• The Committee is non-partisan and welcomes supporters from any political party.

Miami-Dade County Results

• 62% Hispanic Population– 2004• George Bush - 46.6%• John Kerry – 52.9%

– 2008• John McCain – 41.6%• Barack Obama – 58.1%

Cubans in US Politics: 2012

Cuban American vs. Rest of LATAM

Cuban American Interests• Conservative/Right• Economy/jobs• Geographic East of US

– Miami Dade County (Southern Florida)

• 5% of total Latino vote

Latino Interests• Liberal/Left• Immigration Policy• Geographic West of US

– Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, California

• The rest

Marco Rubio, next VP?

• Senator of strategic Florida– Butterfly Ballot recount

(Bush vs. Gore election)– Romney loses to McCain

four years ago• Influence within the

Rep. Party– Spoke out against

Gingrich attack against Romney

This is why I’m a

communist…smh

This is why I’m a

communist…smh

References• http://hispanic.cc/why_cubans_vote_republican.htm• http://www.maryferrell.org/wiki/index.php/Cuba_Timeline• http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21421.html• http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1983705,00.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_exile• http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/pedro.htm• Video cite: http://www.wpbt2.org/suitcase/

References

• http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Cuban-Americans.html

• http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/fl.htm

• http://www.neoliberalismo.com/mission_en.htm