Mariel boatlift
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The boatlift was precipitated by a sharp downturn in the Cuban economy, leading to simmering internal tensions on the island and a bid by up to 10,000 Cubans to gain asylum in the Peruvian embassy.
The Cuban government subsequently announced that anyone who wanted to leave could do so, and an impromptu exodus organized by Cuban-Americans with the agreement of Cuban President Fidel Castro was underway. The boatlift began to have negative political implications for U.S. President Jimmy Carter when it was discovered that a number of the exiles had been released from Cuban jails and mental health facilities. The exodus was ended by mutual agreement between the two governments in October 1980. By that time up to 125,000 Cubans had made the journey to Florida.
Popular culture
The Mariel boatlift is depicted in the films Scarface (1983), The Perez Family (1995), and Before Night Falls (2000).
Some of the more famous Mariel boatlift refugees ("Marielitos") include:
- Pulitzer Prize winner and writer Mirta Ojito
- Writer and poet Reinaldo Arenas
- Murderer of Mia Zapata, Jesus Mezquia.
- Real World star Pedro Zamora.
- Telemundo's Al Rojo Vivo anchor Jorge D. Bernal.
- Hollywood actor and soap opera star Rene Lavan
