Cuba

1
Cuba

• The Cuban Exiles and US Politics

2
Exiles

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

3
Why they left Cuba

• Castro to Power 1959
• 1960-1962 - 14,000 children
• Pedro Pan
• Freedom Flights
• http//www.wpbt2.org/suitcase/

4
Bay of Pigs
5
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

6
Mariel Boat Lift
7
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

8
Mariel Boat Lift contd

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

9
Elian Gonzalez
10
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

11
Cuban American Political History

• Cuban Americans vote Republican.
• 1988 election - 78 voted for Republican
  candidates.
• 1992 election - 70 voted for then-President
  George Bush.

12

• 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.

13
Cuban Committee for Democracy

• Founded in 1993 by a group of progressive
  CubanAmericans in Miami and Washington, D.C.
• CCD is not a political party.
• The Committee is non-partisan and welcomes
  supporters from any political party.

14
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

15
Cubans in US Politics 2012
16
Cuban American vs. Rest of LATAM

• Cuban American Interests

• Latino Interests

• Conservative/Right
• Economy/jobs
• Geographic East of US
• Miami Dade County (Southern Florida)
• 5 of total Latino vote

• Liberal/Left
• Immigration Policy
• Geographic West of US
• Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, California
• The rest

17
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

18
This is why Im a communistsmh
19
References

• http//hispanic.cc/why_cubans_vote_republican.htm
• http//www.maryferrell.org/wiki/index.php/Cuba_Tim
  eline
• http//www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21421.ht
  ml
• http//www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,198
  3705,00.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_exile
• http//www.historyofcuba.com/history/pedro.htm
• Video cite http//www.wpbt2.org/suitcase/

20
References

• http//www.everyculture.com/multi/Bu-Dr/Cuban-Amer
  icans.html
• http//www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008
  /fl.htm
• http//www.neoliberalismo.com/mission_en.htm