1994 Cuban rafter crisis

Mass Cuban emigration September 2026 July 2021 1994 Cuban rafter crisis the Cuban exodus CAMP_ALPHA-CUBAN_REFUGEE_CAMP-CUBAN_EXODUS_1994._GITMO_BAY_CUBA._-_panoramio.jpg 200px Housing for refugees at Guantanamo Bay Government of Cuba Government of the United States Balseros 15 April – 31 October 1994 (05 15 1994 10 31 1994) Around 35,000 Cubans arrive in the United States The 1994 Cuban rafter crisis which is also known as the 1994 Cuban raft exodus or the Balsero crisis was the emigration of more than 35,000 Cubans to the United States (via makeshift rafts). The exodus occurred over five weeks following rioting in Cuba; Fidel Castro announced in response that anyone who wished to leave the country could do so without any hindrance.Taylor Alan 20 Years After the 1994 Cuban Raft Exodus https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/11/20-years-after-the-1994-cuban-raft-exodus/100852/ 21 July 2019 The Atlantic 12 Nov 2014 Fearing a major exodus, the Clinton administration would mandate that all rafters captured at sea be detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.https://scholar.library.miami.edu/digital/exhibits/show/guantanamo/crisis The Rafter Crisis of 1994 and the U.S. Response University of Miami Libraries Digital Exhibits History Background Special Period After the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the beginning of the Special Period in Cuba, the United States Coast Guard noticed an increase in Cuban refugees, with 3,676 intercepted in 1993.Cuba ABC-CLIO 2013 978-1-61069-012-6 https://books.google.com/books?id=Pe_XAQAAQBAJ Exodus and detention Maleconazo Haitian refugee crisis Operation Safe Haven and Safe Passage In the summer of 1994, several Cubans began breaking into consulates and the homes of ambassadors as well as hijacking boats in hopes of leaving the country. After the Maleconazo riots, Fidel Castro announced that any Cubans who wished to leave the island could. Around 5,000 rafters had left earlier in the year but after the announcement around 33,000 rafters left the island. U.S. President Bill Clinton would announce that any rafters intercepted at sea would be detained at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. Around 20,000 rafters would be detained at the base. The Cubans held at the base were designated to live in a tent city. Many at the Naval base were concerned they would be sent back to Cuba instead of being granted permission to enter the United States.http://flashbackmiami.com/2014/08/13/cuban-rafter-crisis/ Cuban Rafter Crisis Miami Herald A legal battle began over the status of the Cuban refugees and the Haitian refugees who accompanied them at the Guantanamo Naval Base.The Cuban Rafter Crisis Revisited 2629431 Many Cuban detainees would try to become productive while waiting idle and uncertain of their futures. Some detainees constructed makeshift gyms, art galleries, newspapers, radio station, and held poetry readings.https://scholar.library.miami.edu/digital/exhibits/show/guantanamo/creation Creation and Recreation University of Miami Libraries On May 2, 1995, the Clinton administration announced that most detainees would be processed and allowed to immigrate.Santiago Fabiola A revisit to the Cuban Balsero crisis and the people who found freedom in America https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article1980199.html 21 July 2019 Miami Herald 16 Aug 2016 Policy change Wet feet, dry feet policy In response to the crisis Bill Clinton enacted the Wet feet, dry feet policy where only Cuban rafters who made it to U.S. soil would be allowed to remain. The U.S. would also approve a minimum of 20,000 immigration visas a year for Cubans. See also Mariel boatlift References Category:Cuba–United States relations Category:1994 in Cuba Category:1994 in the United States Category:Cuban emigrants to the United States Category:Cuban-American culture in Florida Category:Cuban-American history Category:Cuban refugees Category:Immigration to the United States Category:1994 in Florida Category:Presidency of Bill Clinton Category:Guantanamo Bay Naval Base Category:Foreign policy of the Clinton administration