4/20【历史上的今天】Mariel Boatlift | 卡斯特罗放开边界，让古巴人（和精神病人与犯人）逃去美国

美国历史上的今天

Mariel Boatlift

每天一篇《美国历史上的今天》，提炼和总结历史在今天发生的重要事件：谁，在哪里，什么时候，做了什么，这件事为什么重要、以及在写关于什么主题的论文的时候可以作为潜在论据引用。

每天半分钟，轻松积累史实

为AP历史拿5分打下坚实基础

When: April 20, 1980

What: The Castro regime announced that all Cubans wishing to emigrate to the U.S. were free to board boats at the port of Mariel west of Havana, launching the Mariel Boatlift.

Why significant: Prior to the boatlift, generations of Cubans had already immigrated to the U.S. in search of both political freedom and economic opportunities.

But the boatlift was incited by a sharp downturn in the Cuban economy. After approximately 10,000 Cubans tried to gain asylum by taking refuge on the grounds of the Peruvian embassy, the Cuban government announced that anyone who wanted to leave could do so. The ensuing mass migration was organized by Cuban-Americans with the agreement of Cuban president Fidel Castro. The arrival of the refugees in the U.S. created political problems for U.S. president Jimmy Carter. His administration struggled to develop a consistent response to the immigrants, and it was discovered that a number of the refugees had been released from Cuban jails and mental health facilities.

The Mariel boatlift was ended by mutual agreement between the two governments in late October 1980. By that time as many as 125,000 Cubans had reached Florida.

Tags: Cuba, Cold War, president Jimmy Carter