University Leadership Learn More. The Heart of Washington, D. Learn More. Back to Top. Over a million and a half Cubans sought political refuge in the United States. Building an enclave of economic and cultural power in Miami which has changed the face of South Florida. Cuban exiles organized into a huge umbrella of political and paramilitary organizations throughout this period. Groups such as Alpha 66, Commandos L, and Omega 7 targeted Castro agents abroad and military and security targets inside the island.
In the 's Cuba embarked on military adventurism in Africa and Latin America. Angola, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, and El Salvador just to name a few nations would experience revolutionary "struggles" aided and abetted by Cuban arms and or Cuban troops.
In , Cubans seeking freedom invaded the Peruvian embassy in Havana. The resulting wave of refugees came to be known as the Mariel boatlift. Castro in a cynical attempt to taint the exiles mixed in mental patients, homosexuals, and criminals into the mass of refugees.
During the Reagan Administration, Radio Marti began to operate. This terminated Castro's monopoly on information. As a result human rights, and dissident groups began to gain strength and momentum. The knowledge that someone out their could know the truth filled them with hope and energy. During this special period Castro issued a new mantra for a weary populace: Socialism or Death.
The Cuban people answered by taking to the ocean in inner tubes and risking death on the high seas. In addition some of the banners proclaiming socialism or death were vandalized to read socialism is death. On July 13, a group composed of primarily women and children was attacked by the Cuban coast guard.
According to eyewitness accounts the women begged for the lives of their children and the Castro's henchmen responded by using high pressure hoses to wash women and babies overboard to their deaths. The coastguard then rammed and sank the ship. A month later, on August 5, , this incident sparked uprisings in Havana.
Once again Castro offered the people a chance to leave and the rafter crisis overshadowed the uprising. Scores of dissidents and human rights monitors were detained. One year later on July 13, a group of Cuban exiles traveled into Cuban waters to another those who died, a year earlier in the sinking of the 13 de Marzo. The flotilla's lead boat Democracia, was rammed by two Cuban gunboats. Crew members were injured. Less than eight months later, on February 24, , two Brothers to the Rescue Planes were shot out of the sky by Cuban Migs.
They had been scheduled to travel to the Bahamas, but thanks to the combined actions of the spy Roque, and the Cuban government they were forced to cancel their flight plan. Roque arrived earlier, with out Brothers To The Rescue's knowledge, and incited the Cuban refugees in the Bahamian camps to riot. The Cuban government decided to send a delegation on February Brothers to the Rescue was told not to land in the Bahamas. The war produced , Cuban and Spanish combined casualties.
In addition, there was great property damage. Many prominent Cubans fled to Key West. This is also known as the Great Thirty Year War as it effectively continued to This marked the beginning of Havana cigar manufacturing in the U.
Cespedes, a distinguished lawyer and Cuban planter, was one of the first to issue the cry of "Cuba Libre" in His son was elected mayor of Key West in Key West became a political-financial center that supported civil unrest in Cuba.
The U. Cuba's Civil War was over in , but conflict continued. The revolution of was orchestrated almost single-handedly by Jose Julian Marti. Marti rallied military leaders, raised funds and organized expeditions. Much, but not most, of the funds were raised in Key West. On February 24, , open rebellion in Cuba broke out. When the U. The reason the battleship exploded remains unknown. The war lasted only a few months. Cuba was relinquished to the U.
Spanish rule ended January 1, ; U. Thomas Estrada Palma was the first President of the new Republic; however, a revolution occurred in July that resulted in President Taft setting up a provisional government. Peace was restored and the American provisional government was withdrawn three years later on April 1, Cuba recovered and prospered primarily due to the high price of sugar until , when a financial crisis struck.
A fifty- million dollar loan from the U. General Gerardo Machado was elected in and re-elected in The University is home to 25 varsity intercollegiate teams.
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