Cuban dissident drowns in attempt to reach island (return to Cuba)

Mika

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Tue Apr-06-10 07:24 PM
Original message

Cuban dissident drowns in attempt to reach island (return to Cuba)

Cuban dissident drowns in attempt to reach island
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/06/1565990/cuban-dissident-drowns-in-attempt.html

JTAMAYO@ELNUEVOHERALD.COM

A Cuban dissident who came to Miami in 2005 but was blocked when he tried to return legally to the island has drowned during an attempt to sneak back into the island aboard a boat, friends said Tuesday.

Adri�n Leiva had long demanded the Cuban government allow its people to leave and return as they wished, arguing at one point that migration was ``a dagger plunged into the heart of the Cuban nation.''

He told friends he was going to slip back into the island by boat on March 22, and his sister Eva recognized his body at a Havana morgue on Monday, said Miguel Saludes, a longtime friend in Cuba and Miami.

Leiva had returned to Cuba in 2008, but was expelled after his three-month permit expired, Saludes told El Nuevo Herald. He tried again last year, and was turned back at Miami International Airport.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/06/1565990/cuban-dissident-drowns-in-attempt.html#ixzz0kMvybI3b

:wtf:

So, it turns out that it was the US that was preventing him from going to Cuba because he violated US rules regarding his US permit to visit Cuba (prior to Obama's new ruling, but still considered a violation of the existing rules at that time).

- - -

Obviously, its Castro's fault!

Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that Castro did this Castro did that
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:sarcasm:

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Judi Lynn

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Tue Apr-06-10 08:34 PM
Response to Original message

1. This is truly interesting. I will want to find out more about this. I recommended

apparently at the same time someone just unrecommended it.

So you have 0 recommendations after I just recommended it, before a -1 even showed.

Slimy act from one of the peanut gallery.

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protocol rv

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Tue Apr-06-10 10:59 PM
Response to Original message

2. One in a million

So how many Cubans want to go back to Cuba after they reach the US? What's the proportion? I bet less than half of one percent do. What does your post tell me, very little. The Sarcasm, of course, is uncalled for.

This discussion about Cuba's relative merits should be conducted with less anecdotal discussions and more trends, statistics, and logic. For example, did you manage to respond to the question I asked, do you think there are no Cubans living in Cuba who, on their own, without being on the US payroll, want to change the regime?

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Judi Lynn

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Wed Apr-07-10 03:10 AM
Response to Reply #2

3. So sad you insist upon once again spreading complete misinformation.

In the book written about Cuba by the New York Times reporter, Ann Louise Bardach, Cuba Confidential, on page 18 of the preface, she describes two groups of Cubans who are never particularly known of by Americans outside South Florida:

Anomalies such as the phenomenon of reverse balseros, Cubans who, unable to adapt to the pressures and bustle of entrepreneurial Miami, return to the island, or gusa�eros, expatriates who send a portion of their earnings home in exchange for unfettered travel back and forth to Cuba (the term is a curious Cuban hybrid of gusano and compa�ero, or comrade), are unacknowledged by both sides, as are those who live in semi-exilio, returning home to Cuba for long holidays.

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protocol rv

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Wed Apr-07-10 08:58 AM
Response to Reply #3

5. Like I said, one in a million

So they got a few Cubans going back and forth, and a few return. They have over a million Cubans who fled. I can see why some of them do go back. I've heard of individuals who have been in jail for a long time, and when they are released, they commit a crime right away to go back to jail, because they don't know how to live any other way.

I'm not "spreading complete misinformation". I am stating my opinion, which is based on what I know. Maybe to you this is a horrible thing to do, given your mindset. My honest opinion is that most Cubans who left Cuba miss their country, and wish they could go back. One always wants to be home. But most of them would never return under current conditions, and if Cuba changes to a more normal situation, I doubt there would be many returning anyway.

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flamingdem

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Wed Apr-07-10 09:36 AM
Response to Reply #5

8. Your error is believing that politics is the reason

they would not return to live in Cuba. They are just LOGICALLY getting the best out of both worlds as would ANY OTHER expatriate from a third world country.

It's easier to work and live in comfy Miami or Europe. They are ECONOMIC immigrants. Many are perfectly welcome and set up in Cuba and may well retire there.

It's SOCIOISMO not socialism anyway. You would get that if you'd ever lived there. Your wealth in Cuba is counted by contacts and friends, it's a small town mentality.

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flamingdem

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Wed Apr-07-10 09:32 AM
Response to Reply #3

7. I never heard of the word gusa�eros

but I know many people who do exactly that.

All you have to do is take a flight between Cancun and Havana to meet that class of people. These are people who haven't stepped on too many toes in the USA or Cuba. They are the people in between and usually they keep it quiet!

Many are business people but their business is not so much with the USA it's with Cuba and other countries. They may or may not do well when things open up.

In the future expect maybe 25% of Miami to be in this category.

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Judi Lynn

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Wed Apr-07-10 03:39 AM
Response to Original message

4. Mika, I just remembered something from 1999, from the Elian story:

L�zaro "Rafa" Munero, the ex-con boyfriend of Elizabeth Brotons, Elian's mother, used to travel back and forth between Miami and Cuba routinely until he decided he wanted to take Elian's mother to Florida to live with him there, instead of in Cuba.

That's one other well known example of a national Cuban coming and going across the water.

~~~~~~
Really glad to see the truth behind the pretense concerning Adri�n Leiva, Mika. They always try so hard to bury it.

Who can forget Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo's departure from Miami after living there a long time, after being a member of one of those crappy militia groups, after starting his own Cuban organization, "Cambio Cubano," and moving back to Cuba, setting up his own political group there, and how he started getting threats from the _Bush administration telling him he'd better get his ass back to the U.S. in a goddamned hurry or face a ferocious fine, like $500,000.00 or something, etc., etc., etc.

Sure, as we know, he's STILL there. Good for him.

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flamingdem

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Wed Apr-07-10 09:28 AM
Response to Original message

6. Cubans love and miss Cuba and dream of returning

especially those who left for economic reasons and have to withstand the environment in Miami where their cultural tastes are marginalized - that is CUBAN culture - not the Bongos Cafe version of Cuba sold in Miami by the Estefans and others.

This is a huge topic with the expatriate Cubans I know. They pine endlessly about wanting to return because they are so people / family oriented. It's a huge deal to be separated from their families and from their island.

The flights back to Cuba are oversold every day now for one example.

Here's a hint for those who haven't been there:

Cuba is great because the people are great. You have to be a robot not to feel very alive in Cuba.

But don't let the media know it's anything but a gulag!

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protocol rv

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Wed Apr-07-10 11:36 AM
Response to Reply #6

9. But the governent is a problem, isn't it?

Cuba would be better if they change the government. Time to move on.

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flamingdem

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Wed Apr-07-10 01:15 PM
Response to Reply #9

10. Don't be a simpleton. It takes two to tango. nt

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Mika

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Wed Apr-07-10 06:46 PM
Response to Original message

11. Dissident Adrian Leiva Drowns While Trying to Sneak Back into Cuba

Dissident Adrian Leiva Drowns While Trying to Sneak Back into Cuba
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2010/04/dissident_adrian_leiva_drowns.php

Cuban dissident and political activist Adrian Leiva has drowned after trying to sneak back into Cuba aboard a boat, the Miami Herald reports.

Leiva left Cuba for Miami in 2005, but wanted to return. He tried to re-enter Cuba legally but was denied by the government. After a three-month stay in 2008, he was forced to return to America. An attempt to return legally last year was also thwarted.

Wishing to continue his political activism in the country and to be closer to his mother, Leiva took off for the island on March 22, but his boat capsized. His body was identified by his sister at a Havana morgue.

In an open letter in 2008 to Barack Obama and Raul Castro, Leiva asked for easing of relations between the two countries on the condition that Cubans received more basic rights.

He also opposed the "wet foot/dry foot" policy, saying it had lead to the deaths of many Cubans.

The policy of receiving Cubans illegally entering the United States with the benefit of "the Cuban Adjustment Act. . . has contributed to the deaths of thousands of people in the Straits of Florida. It remains unchanged and adapt to the new reality of migration, would continue to encourage human trafficking and the deaths of more Cubans at sea.

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