Coast Guard: 9 Cuban migrants die, 18 rescued off Florida

[rooster59]

Coast Guard: 9 Cuban migrants die, 18 rescued off Florida

BRENDAN FARRINGTON, Associated Press


MIAMI (AP) — Nine Cuban migrants died at sea and 18 others were rescued by a cruise ship after their 30-foot boat was found about 130 miles from the Florida coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The migrants were severely dehydrated when they were found Friday and said they had been at sea 22 days. The bodies of those who didn't make it were placed overboard, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Barney. The survivors were in bad condition.

"They could barely walk off the vessel itself," Barney said. "They were weak and they were shaking."

The rescue by the Royal Caribbean ship took place about 130 miles west of Marco Island in southwest Florida. The migrants were in a "rustic" boat that was about 30-feet long, Barney said.

They were found by the cruise ship Brilliance of the Seas at about 7 a.m. Friday. The migrants boarded the ship and received food, water and medical treatment, Royal Caribbean said.

The company reported the event to the Coast Guard and made the decision to bring the migrants to its next port of call, Cozumel, Mexico. The cruise had departed Tampa on Thursday.

The rescue comes as President Barack Obama travels to Cuba to meet with President Raul Castro during a 2½-day visit that begins Sunday. The visit is part of Obama's efforts to normalize relations with Cuba. While the U.S. has eased travel restrictions to the island Cuba, many Cubans still risk their lives to reach the United States.

"The Coast Guard has observed a steady increase in illegal maritime migration attempts from Cuba to the southeastern U.S. since the U.S. announcement of normalized diplomatic relations with Cuba in December 2014," the Coast Guard said in a press release. Last month, 269 Cuban migrants attempted to reach U.S. shores and about 2,420 have tried to reach the United States by sea since last October.

On the same day Royal Caribbean rescued the group it found, the Coast Guard returned 42 other migrants to Cuba after they were picked up in the Florida Straits in two separate incidents earlier in the week.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-03-20

[umbanda]

Very sad and interesting at the same time...
For the last 50 years the US propaganda were saying that life in Cuba is so bad that most Cubans wanted to leave at any cost, and the Cuban Government was blocking Its citizens to leave the country.
That was just a big lie! I have many Cuban friends studying in Europe.
Like in any other country Cubans have to apply for visas and show travel reservations and proof of income. Many are traveling to Europa and other countries, but was not easy or impossible to get visa to the US. Why? Because many Cubans were applying for "refugee" status getting very good US Government Benefits.... and some getting illegal "jobs" to supplement it. In Cuba drugs dealing and prostitution it is a serious crime.
Now....when diplomatic relations are getting normalized, those future "refugees" knows that very soon will not get that kind of "welcome" from the US Government anymore. No free money, no free housing, no easy jobs...nothing. Now they are showing the real reason why they were risking their lives to reach the US. In Cuba is not welfare, unemployment, Section 8, food stamps, etc, etc, but there are free good education, good health services, housing, to the ones willing to accept jobs available to anyone, and to work. Now, no options anymore for a free ride in the US.
And...the Havana Airport still showing a large banner to its visitors...
"IN CUBA NO CHILDREN ARE SLEEPING ON THE STREETS"

[Scott]

What you say is mostly untrue. It's hard to figure out who you are criticizing, but based on most of your other posts, I suspect it is the US. Cubans, like a lot of people, escape for a variety of reasons. The 'freebies' they get are limited in time and scope, as they are with all refugees. The assumption that they engage in drug smuggling and prostitution is a slur on many of the people who have left.

Cuba is still a communist regime and the gov't is repressive towards dissidents. They are now, and probably will in the future, be eligible to apply for asylum just as people are from nearly any country. Those with family members in Cuba will be eligible to sponsor them under normal immigration channels as can be done from nearly all countries.

There are those who have been and will probably continue to make their way to the US before they have to undergo a rigorous screening, but those are primarily people with existing connections to the US. They also have money and tend to fly to friendly countries and make their way to the US in something other than a small boat.

Do not mix those attending school in Europe and South America with refugees. Those allowed to leave to attend school are from the upper strata of Cuban society and that means they are members in good standing of the Communist party. Even some of those don't return. Don't forget Fidel's sister, Juanita Castro, defected to the US and has lived there since 1964.

[GaryAdriaenssens]

Seems the good old US is getting slowly but surely the same problem as Europe..... What a world!!!

[kamahele]

Seems the good old US is getting slowly but surely the same problem as Europe..... What a world!!!

This is an issue that has been around for decades which should start to diminish one would hope as the barriers between the US and Cuba come down. Hopefully, Cubans will have a chance at a better life (financially) and one hopes that also their political system will loosen up and give them more freedoms as well. One hopes!