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A Cuban Odyssey

People trying to escape dictator Fidel Castro's 'Marxist Paradise' of Cuba sometimes show an inventive streak that borders on genius. Witness this one boat: The report from MSNBC/AP

Let’s grab a cab to the United States
Coast Guard intercepts Cubans in floating taxi

A vintage blue taxicab converted into a seagoing vessel and carrying several Cuban immigrants was intercepted Tuesday off Key West by the Coast Guard, a television station reported.

And the Coast Guards take on this:

The Coast Guard declined to comment. "Under U.S. government policy, we cannot discuss migrant interdiction operations until disposition is complete," said Petty Officer Sandra Bartlett. That process often takes days, she said.

Under U.S. immigration policy, Cubans who reach U.S. shores generally are allowed to stay while those caught at sea are usually returned.

I realize there are laws and procedures to follow but I wish we were more lenient about letting people in from Cuba. There are parts of the nation that are groomed for tourism but the Cubans themselves live in poverty and Castro's much vaunted health-care and education is a joke. Hat tip to BoingBoing Posted by DaveH at June 8, 2005 10:52 AM