The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from LACUJAE Continuing series.

Sept.16:

Carlos Angel Muñoz is convicted in federal court under the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act. Muñoz bought a boat and charged $625 for each person he brought back during the boatlift. He will be sentenced to 30 months in prison. In all, more than 1,100 cases would be filed against U.S. boat captains who brought aliens without visas to the United States.

 Sept.26, 1980

Castro closed Mariel and orders all boats awaiting passengers to leave.  125,262 Cubans have arrived at Key West via Mariel

Oct. 21, 1980

CHTF announces the President's decision that Cubans and Haitians who arrived from June 20 to October 10 will be paroled into the U.S. as "Cuban/Haitian entrants (status pending)."  Approximately 11,000 Cubans and 5,500 Haitians arrived in South Florida during this period. Mami was one of those she got her card 5 yrs later we got our residency cards right away. 

By this time, too, we had checked in with Jackson Hospital to have my brother's legs examined it's a genetic thing we had, but that’s another story that also started in Cuba. During the 1980s when you called Cuba, it was a 5-minute phone call then they cut you off quick. So Papi would communicate with audio tapes which first it was hard to get a cassette recorder and then finding tapes to record. I remember many times when Papi would have a section for us, and we listen in the bathroom, then it would be the part for my Mami. And I cry to this day remembering Mami listening to Papi and crying in the bathroom. We have those tapes, and I transfer them to all Mp3’s so we will not forget his voice It’s 12 tapes which include my great grandparents on my Mami side. Also, Papi would send postcards which were hard to find and expensive they tend to be 3-D ones from Russia, North Korea we saved all of them. It took us many years and a lot of paperwork thru the ordeal of Papi leaving Cuba we grew up in government housing in Hialeah and food stamps, and with the help of our family, we survived.  The next five years were hard, but it became a love story with the tapes between my Mami and Papi. The Romeo and Julieta of the Caribbean. 

                      Hector y Ada Capote 

April 1, 1985: Almost five years after they arrived in the United States, INS starts the process of giving permanent resident status to Mariel refugees. At 100, Victoria Contreras becomes the first Mariel refugee to obtain U.S. residency. Mami gets her Permanent Resident card we got our right away.

During the separation, Papi spoke about been watched by the Cuban center intelligence. Papi would leave a piece or two of his hair with saliva on the doorknob and he comes back and it would be gone he knew the Cuban center intelligence search our apartment. Sometimes it would be there but he does not know what they did put a microphone. And Papi would be tempted to do something against the government but Tio Jorge would tell him they are watching you you will go to jail. So Papi held back his urge to fight the Cuban dictatorship. Papi said one of his happiest days was when he married Mami and his kids were born plus when  Papi was finally freed from Cuba thru Panama in Dec of 1985. Papi said men would truly love their wife and kids those are moments you never forget. 

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from LACUJAE Continuing series.

August 2 at night, our boat journey begins.

Then we started to load the boat it was called "Chula" the Military had put prisoners and others in our boat one of the men they put on our boat looked around and made faces the whole time. We were sat in the middle with a family. The boat maybe could fit 15 we could not move everyone was foot to foot knee to knee then a boat behind us broke down it was a small boat with 4-5 people they came aboard us we got a rope and tugged the boat when we got to international waters. We would put our heads down when Coast Guard past by we had too many people. I remember waves and sharks and dolphins things I have never seen before. We eventually threw out food and Mamis precious thermo that is hard to find in Cuba around a 12-14 hour trip we slept a lot. None of us threw up, but a lot did in the boat.

August 3

The boat was silent during the trip in the dark waters, and when we got close to the Port of Key West at Truman Annex and put the American flag instead of the Cuban everyone clapped.  Ernie had the cast, so  Tio Jorge got him a wheelchair, and Jose was on it too, and Mami grabs Yoyi and me, and they gave us a sandwich in which Yoyi jump on like a hungry shark. Tio said if you see I disappear, it’s because they are arresting people I have to leave my son is here Jorge Enrique Capote Mateo age 18(My Cousin) Tio’s first plan was to jump in the water and swim, but there were sharks in the water.   We landed on August 3 around   9:00 am Sunday in the morning on the boat La Chula. Tio Faustino Fernandez age 48 the husband of Tia Hilda Capote Corzo age 50 signs for us so the boat could not be traced to Tio Jorge then came to the Port the big shrimp boat which landed with over 100 people. We stayed overnight in Key West at the Trumbo Point our family left around 5 am for a 3 hour and a half drive to Krome Detention Center  Monday, August 4  in the morning we get there around 8- 9 am.  Mom called Tia Hilda because she had one call she could make  and  Tia Hilda said that Tia Thelma Capote Corzo age 49, Tio Jorge and Tia Nyda, Tio Faustino, cousin Jorge, my cousin son of Tia Hilda Jorge Fernandez Capote, age 15, where coming along. So Mami went to get some sandwiches because they kept announcing it over the loudspeaker come to get them Mami worried about leaving us alone when she finally went Tio pulled up, and they called our names over the speaker when he saw her he said go get the kids we are leaving he had a van. Tio gave Mami some yellow folders he said you can not lose them; these are your immigration papers. We went to the house of Tia Hilda and hey had a cake for me and toys. We did not call Cuba for a while, but we heard that Papi knew that we had landed safely in Key West.

A Cuban guard watches refugees leave the Port of Mariel. 

Refugees wait to be processed by U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) agents old naval seaplane hangar at Trumbo Point in Key West.

Pier B Truman Annex Key West during the Mariel Boatlift in 1980 we landed here. 

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from LACUJAE Continuing series.

August 2, 1980

 So Tia Vivian came that day with a veil so no one would recognize her she brought a cake it was a day before my birthday, and she said Tio called he is in the Port of Mariel, and you are leaving when the Military came for us this time they went thru the back of our apartment complex so this time they were not to be seen. The soldiers drank maltas and ate cake. They came for us in two cars in one Papi and me with Jose the other  Mami with Jorge(Yoyi) and Ernie almost always Jose was with Papi and  Mami with Ernie and Yoyi It was getting dark, so no one found out we were leaving. On August 2 Saturday we left around 7 pm we came to the Abreu Fontan it was closed, and they told us to wait they are getting our passports. We were not there for long, but it became the moment of truth. The chauffeur who took us the first time we tried to leave Cuba was on guard this time, and he said that one(Papi) had problems he cannot leave he said to Papi also during the papers process Tio had not said that Papi was working at University City José Antonio Echeverría (CUJAE) at a hydraulic plant.  When they went to look at what happened the last time nothing came up about Yoyi and his missing passport/ documents, but they had information where  Papi worked, and Tio Jorge did not mention that in his in request to avoid any issues.

        The Military police said because he worked as a technician and because he knew things about the University and also the man told him "You have betrayed all the patriots that have died for our homeland" and Papi said “ Is not all of you that have betrayed all the heroes of our homeland? The man but he head down and did not answer. Then came the famous Tony Laguardia he asked your Hector Capote and Papi said yes colonel com on your are leaving. But When Tony went to the back they talked to him and he never came out the same door he went out thru the back and Papi did not see him again. Papi said if there is one terrible moment in my life that I will never forget was that moment. Papi was taken from us at Abreu Fontan Mami was crying when Papi said he could not leave. He also said my Brother will get me out take the kids; this is our chance for our kids. Then I finally learned the secret about what we where doing Papi told me,” Hectico, you are now the man of the house take care of your Brothers and Mom.” And Tony Laguardia was executed by the dictatorship in a famous trial with General Ochoa in 1986 they took the blame for the corrupted communist government drug dealing but it was really the Castro brothers behind it. 

       It was the most painful moment in my life that never seems to hurt any less, and this happened a day before my 7^th birthday. For me, the story for a long time was about a little boy who did not understand why he was separated from his Papi. But now I know different, and Papi also suffered similar pain I imagine when his Dad Ricardo left Cuba on Aug 24, 1967, when Papi was 19 that would be the last time he would see his father  Ricardo died in Miami.   Papi told Mami that she “had to leave it bests theirs no future in Cuba we have four boys they could be arrested and killed and don’t worry again my brother will come back for me.” Mami cried a lot, all along the drive going to the Mosquito Camp. They tried to split us up after learning that Papi could not leave Cuba, but Mami said no way I am going to be separated from my children. It took us 45 minutes to get to the Mosquito camp called that because of the enormous population of mosquitos and the conditions of the camp. We went to an infirmary. Mami was with us the four kids in the tent when the military guards asked her questions did she have family in the U.S.A.?
Why she is taking us out of Cuba? She did not want to answer. She just said that she has her husband’s family, and then they asked me questions. And they told me I wouldn’t be able to go to school like in Cuba my Mami told me to keep looking at her and do not answer. I would not have toys I would live bad  and sad not like Cuba and Mami said: “do not be afraid you have your uncles in the U.S.A.  they love you and will take care of us.”  My Mami was such a brave woman, you would not expect it, but since her biological father abandoned her, it has only strengthened her idea of family and sacrifice for one's family. One of the twins Ernie had a cast around one leg not sure which one but he had an appointment to be operated like me the military again tried to raise doubts about us leaving.

A small van came to pick us up. We passed by the camps, picked up people, and heard lots of screams, and saw dogs attacking people. Some people came with dogs bites untreated from the camps.   So they took us to the port where the boat was. Tio Jorge saw Mami, she recognized him from the pictures they hugged he told her don’t worry I will get him out.  Tio already knew that Papi was not coming since he had paid off a lot of folks so we would have a more comfortable passage than most that went thru  Mariel and we did so we had it a bit easier in a sense that lots of others spent days or weeks in Abreu Fontan and  Mosquito camp with barely any food and horrible conditions. Tio hugged all of us he took to me to see the boat, and he told me I  looked like Papi for us the kids it was the  first time we ever saw him he promised to me when I asked him: “Don’t worry I will get your Papi back quick.” He gave us food to eat.

Abreu Fontan last place we saw Papi on 08/02/1980

University City José Antonio Echeverría (CUJAE) where Papi worked 

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from LACUJAE Continuing series.

May 14, 1980

President Carter proposes an official US sealift and airlift of Cuban refugees with careful screening of those wishing to enter the US.

President Carter's Statement

-calling for a halt to "Freedom Flotilla."

-offering a government-run air & sealift

-instructing Coast Guard to stop boats going to Cuba.

-making it illegal to do so

During  the week of July  21st, 1980

                      (Our Apartment on the second-floor balcony)

            On our first attempt to leave military police came to pick us in, the daytime then people came out when they heard about us leaving, and this is the story about us and the CDR(Committee for the Defense of the Revolution). They started their chants of Escoria(Scum) and Gusanos(Worms) I remember them saying you are going to starve in the U.S.A.  The crowd threw  potatoes at our balcony, eggs were thrown at the front door and Papi said: “You sure you what to waste all that food  you will need it tomorrow.” In a part of the crowd, there was, the mother of my two best friends who lived upstairs Papi was carrying me and had Jose by the hand and Mami had Ernie by the side and Yoyi in her arms someone pushed and hit Papi with me in his arms. Papi turned around, and the mother of my best friend shouted throw a rock at Hectico to her son mine my Papi told her  “If your son hits mine I will throw yours against the wall till he stops breathing” she said he is not going to, do anything. The military police surrounded us to protect us from the crowd, which the government controls remember that. We were all quite the kids thru out the whole ordeal my Mami said, but, we had no idea what was going on. And neither did I ask what was going on.  The Military drove us to Abreu Fontan (Before 1959 it was a luxurious upper-class club) about 15 minutes away, but when we got there, they took our passports pictures hence my picture of outer terror from the day's events  Yoyi Capote was not claimed by Tio Jorge no documents he was nine months old.   They told Papi we could go and leave the kid and Papi said: “sure leave the baby of  9-months to open the door and cook for himself”. Papi called Tio Jorge to fix the paperwork we were five days locked up at home the front door full of insults graffiti. 

After the long day, we went to our Abuelos house in Fontanar  Oyo told Papi you could not stay here the University would kick me out. Oyo had just gotten his  Doctors Degree in Science in 1979 and was a Professional so he would not be allowed to leave the country and I think he had no desire too. They were in the dark about us going till that tense moment, but their decision not to let us stay really hurt my mother; they are her parents with their grandchildren. It’s maybe easy to say we would do differently, but we have never felt the fear. He would have lost his job and would not have been allowed to leave the country and even possible prison time. When we got home, to our apartment in LACUJAE it was full of eggs and potatoes and graffiti on the door with words like Gusano(Worms), Escoria(Scum), Putas(Bitches).  We were there at the apartment for a week mostly inside then Tia Bibiana would come to visit, and Rafelito(her son) very brave of them the Abuelos came once. Abuela wanted me to stay with them she cried and told Mami and Papi to leave Hectico with them, and they said they wanted to leave and to ask Tio if they had space. Mami felt like it was Abuela that put Abuelo up to it to ask for them to leave. My Abuelos left our apartment. I would not see them again till Dec. 2001 almost 22 yrs later.  My Mami and Papi and Abuelos never spoke about it even later on. We were according to my Mami the first to leave thru the Port of Mariel in our barrio(neighborhood).  

(Where it all happened when the taxi came for us)

(My Cuban passport picture from that terrifying day)

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from La CUJAE Continuing series.

In an editorial in the newspaper Granma on April 21, 1980, the decision of the Cuban government was made public, that the boats arriving from the United States to the Island. Can pick up those who wish to emigrate to that country also they would not be stopped.

Apr. 21: Fishing boats Dos Hermanos and Blanche III arrive in Key West with the first 48 refugees. Apr. 22: U.S. State Department warns boat owners that bringing undocumented aliens into the United States is a felony.

May 2, 1980

Cubans seeking word on their requests for U.S. visas were attacked on steps of US Interest Section in Havana by a pro-Castro crowd - Interest section virtually under siege.  About 400 individuals take refuge in ISINT.

May 5: '' . . . We'll continue to provide an open heart and open arms to refugees seeking freedom from Communist domination.'' President Carter's words taken by many as a wholesale invitation.

May 17: The overloaded Olo Yumi sinks north of Mariel in the Florida Straits, killing 14. At least 38, including skipper Salvador Ojeda, are rescued by the Coast Guard. Confirmed at-sea deaths in the exodus reach 25

May 19, 1980

A US Coast Guard blockade is establishing to prevent boats from traveling to Cuba to take out refugees.

The brother of Tia Nydia Rosa Capote age 50  the wife of Tio Jorge Enrique Capote Corzo age 46  got a call with a message for Papi. Sometime in May 1980 that he had a message from Tio Jorge and to meet at the brother’s house in Santo Saurez. It was far Mami and Papi had to take two busses they went alone. So Papi got the message, and it was a question from Tio Jorge if we wanted to leave with the family from Cuba. Papi had said I never thought about it, but he kept thinking about it. And then Tia Nydia and Tio Jorge(never forget them they are the reason our family got out of Cuba) came in a large shrimping boat in July to pick us up and Tia Nydia’s family and at that time Mami y Papi decided to leave.
Papi and Mami were worried about their kids being sent to war or if his four boys decide to go and jump on a raft, and then they die on it in the ocean or be put in jail. And Mami said she was terrified because she had no family only Capotes in Miami.  But Mami told Papi, “if you tell me to go to the moon, I will go with you.” Papi said my family would take care of us. My Mami always believed in my Papi and together in a dark corner in an apartment building in Habana that my Papi built with his own hands (Construction Worker) in silence they decided to leave it all behind and not let the walls hear their plans. It was a secret outside of Tio’s and Tia’s family knowing the truth they had to do it. It was a dangerous time, and they had four boys to protect.

Nobody knew when it was their turn to leave till they got a phone call, but back then few people had home phones in Cuba, we did not have one our Abuelos did. Our Abuelo Jose "Pepe" Folgueras Mendez “Oyo”  age 40 and my Abuela Silvia “Tata” Erlinda Santiago Sanchez, 46   also my Abuelo  Oyo's  Sister had a home phone too Bibiana Folgueras Mendez age 37. She lived in Habana Vieja(Old) (When Papi went to visit Tia Bibiana she told him he had a message from Tio  Papi called on a public telephone in this one I can not take two families per the guards at Mariel port. Then Papi gave Tio the number to Bibiana, and he told Bibiana about us leaving. But at that time of Mariel when you came to pick up family you could only pick one family on your list so we could not leave on the Shrimp Boat we would have to wait, but the secret was still safe.

One of the stories Papi told and I sorta remember was when I was 7 yrs old in 1980 during Mariel when people were starting to leave and the violent acts against them started. One day I saw from the balcony of our apartment below us an act of violence. They were beating a man and he was falling unconscious and I asked Papi why do they do that to that man Papi? Papi told me, son because he wants to leave Cuba. And I being only 7 yrs old told him Papi and just because someone wants to leave they have to do that to them? Papi told me son I can not answer your question here now but one day I will answer it. 

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from La CUJAE Continuing series.

My Papi Hector L. Capote soon became disappointed with how Cubans were treated by the government in Habana and told his boss about human rights violations he was seeing. His boss told him, “Capote do what I say  and don’t look at anything else.” My Mami told me she would ask Papi “what's wrong?” she would see him sad and conflicted, and he says to her  “I can not take it anymore the things I am seeing. The names people are calling each other, and the government is encouraging it all.”  What did Dad see? Well in Cuba you have a committee called  CDR (Committees for the Defense of the Revolution) in all the neighborhoods they have such a committee. They have meetings every month or so, and more importantly, they keep an eye when someone is “unrevolutionary.” So when someone hears that a family is leaving for the Port of Mariel, they tell the local CDR. They then organize people and do a  protest at the house of the family going or wanting to go. Then they would throw eggs and sometimes frozen they would become hard as a rock also they would chant Gusanos(Worms) and Escoria(Scum) and chase families down the streets. Countless of Cubans families were beaten and some deaths accorded while the police did nothing to protect the people wanting to leave. Soldiers at the Embassy would beat people trying to get into the embassy.

My Papi tells the story of one day after the embassy escape of many Cubans. He and another man an engineer named Tony were guarding the streets by his job on 5th street and 42the embassy was by 5th and 20th something. He saw an old man coming by him been followed by around 300 people the old man was running and threw himself at my Papi. The old man said kill me before all those people do my Papi said take easy I am not going to kill you or either is those people they are not going to touch you. When they got close my Papi told the crowd however gets close will have to die with me. And Tony said the same thing to the crowd. My Papi told them you can not hit someone because they want to leave. So the crowd dispersed and Papi took the old man to the bus station. The old man took the bus and went home. 

Papi also tells the story of a young man an engineer that wanted to leave and had a permission slip from the government.  Papi had asked the young man you came from the embassy and he answered yes and I am an engineer. Papi asked to see the slip out of curiosity of what one looks like. Then some 12-13 yr old kids tried to take the slip from Papi and my Papi told them kid get lost or I am going to kick so hard in the ass that you will get to Miami before all these people in Mariel. The kids wanted to take it to rip up the slip. I gave it back to the young man and the kids followed him so I went with him to the bus so they would not touch him. The young man said I will never forget what you did my Papi told him I do not do it for you to remember. And that is what made Papi start to change. My Papi thought I am revolutionary but if another one of these things happens and my kids want to leave the country and one of these acts of violence happens to them I will have to kill a general. 

Then on Apr. 9 1980: Andean Pact ministers ask other nations to accept some refugees from the embassy. Followed by Apr. 11 1980 President Jimmy Carter announces the U.S. will accept up to 3,500 refugees, by provisions in the Refugee Act. Next on Apr. 13 1980: Costa Rica offers San Jose as a staging area for refugee resettlement. Also on Apr. 16 1980: Evacuation flights to Costa Rica begin. Castro suspends flights two days later.

 And then a scary moment for those in the embassy on Apr. 19 1980: An estimated one million Cubans march past the US Interest Section as the focal point of an island-wide series of anti-US demonstrations. Dad was a part of that march per his job at the university.  In Miami, exile Napoleon Vilaboa readies a flotilla of 42 boats to bring back refugees.   And the moment a lot of Cubans were waiting for Apr. 20 1980: Castro announces he will open the port of Mariel for exiles to pick up relatives who want to leave the island.

                            The brave people that refused to leave the Peruvian embassy.

                               

                    Cuban secret police beating Cubans wanting to leave at the US                                                embassy

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from La CUJAE Continuing series.

 Papi  was assisting the Cuban guards at the Peruvian embassy a few days after the incident on April 6. He guarded around the streets of the Peruvian embassy thru his job at the university(Lacujae) in which he was required to be there but the government claimed it was “volunteer,” and he was in civilian clothes dad had been in the Cuban Military and drove tanks. In 1980 Papi was still loyal to Communism, but he soon started to see horrible things that changed his mind. During those dark grey, dangerous times in Habana 1980 everyone in the streets was talking about leaving and the economic situation plus did Castro mean what he said about the Port of Mariel?  But Castro had plans to control the riots that had brought Habana to a stop, and the  city was  about to begin one of the many dark chapters in Cuban history in a long, tense, hot summer in Cuba, but for the first time Cuban turned against Cuban something we had not seen in our past as a nation. Cuba always dealt with outside forces we had never come to Civil War like most nations. From Fidel’s Gusanos (Worms) speech. “And the Gusanos and the privileged the parasites and the sons of parasites that want to abandon the flag and creating crime and treason against our homeland!.” And from his speech “Quien no Tenga Sangre revolucionaria” (However does not have Revolution in their blood.) “However does not have revolution in their genes, however, does not have revolution in their blood, That does not have the mind to adapt to a revolution who does not have a heart that can adapt to the effort and heroism of a revolution we don’t want them we do not need them.” 

Peru Embassy 1980 

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from La CUJAE Continuing series.

The year is 1980

Jan. 30, 1980: The sand dredge Cinco de Diciembre, is hijacked from Varadero, Cuba. After a 32-hour voyage that ends in Miami Beach, 66 Cubans are granted asylum. Then on Feb. 16, 1980, Eight Cuban stowaways hijack Liberian freighter Lissette from outside Habana Harbor and sail to Key West. Followed by Feb. 26, 1980: Using two rusty revolvers, 26 Cubans commandeer government-owned pleasure craft Lucero from Habana Harbor and sail to the Florida Keys. And last on Mar. 8th  1980: Reacting to recent hijacking, Cuban President Fidel Castro hints at the possibility of mass emigration in a speech.

Then came the day that everything changed for Hector L. Capote, a young Communist who believed in the so-called “New Man” and his young family.

Apr. 1 1980: Six Cubans that were seeking asylum hijacked a bus and crashed it through the gates of the Peruvian Embassy in Habana. A Cuban guard, struck by a ricocheting bullet, dies in the chaos. The ones in the bus have no guns as guns by citizens is outlawed in Cuba.

Apr. 4: Peru extends asylum to the gate-crashers. Cuban Government removes embassy guards; Havana radio announces embassy is open.  Then all hell breaks loss in Habana on Apr. 6 1980: 10,856  Cubans crowd onto the embassy grounds; Peru grants them asylum. These people would wind up eating tree leaves and bark because the government gave them virtually no food while they were at the embassy. These brave people are the reason we are here in the U.S.A. never forget that they opened the Port for our family to rescue us from oppression.

photo credit: Edgardo W. Olivera <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/124137421@N04/46316088044">Tras las rejas</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)</a

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from La CUJAE Continuing series.

Afterward, Papi left for Habana to get away from trouble and met my Mami in Habana 1968 in the backyard of our Grandparents(Oyo &Tata) house in Fontanar.In fact, Mami was known around the barrio as "La que le robo el novio a Juanita" the one who stoled Juanita's boyfriend. So my Abuela Delia and  Tia Margarit could not leave my Papi alone in Cuba they felt in the times of Carmaoica boatlift. My Mami had her parents and grandparents all in Cuba and cousins. They had four children Hector(Hectico) Gustavo Capote Vargas age 7(me), Jose Enrique Capote Vargas age 5, Ernesto(Ernie) Antonio Capote Vargas age 5, and Jorge (Yoyi) Ernqiue Capote Vargas a few months old. Our family lived in Habana in the Barrio de la Cujae along with Mami's parents in the Barrio of Fontanar still in Habana, and the rest of the family was in Camaguey and Matanzas.  

In the 1970s, after many years of failed promises by Fidel Castro and sacrifices by the Cuban people. Our family saw no change to their standard of living; in fact, things were becoming harder to find outside of the dollar black-market. During those times, you could go to jail for having American dollars in Cuba. However, Castro was still popular, and my Papi Hector L. Capote was a Communist. He went to the marches that supported the Cuban revolution, but he told me his boss “expected it.” Moreover, Mami avoided the marches by saying she had to take care of us four boys, and we had health issues(which we did). Relations with the U.S.A. where at a standstill and disorganized even though American President Jimmy Carter tried a new approach with Cuba in the late 1970s. The problem of immigration and terrorism against Cuba (from outside Cuban-exiles and internal groups)  were the hot topics. However, the U.S.A had stopped the “Freedom Flights” that lasted from 1965 to 1973, and few Cubans could leave the island pressure was building.
Moreover,  Cuba was at war in Angola and various other African countries and some Latin. But in Angola which lasted from 1975 till 1988 at one point over 56,000 Cuban troops where fighting. Overall 10,000 Cuban soldiers were killed in Angola since 1975. Moreover, the U.S.A. embargo against Cuba, which bans exports to Cuba, which were in effect since 1960, had hurt the economy along with mismanagement by the communist regime. The U.S.A. had interfered and supported dictators since  Cuba won independence against Spain in 1902. And in the 1970s when extreme right-winged Cubans performed terrorist acts against  Cuba, the U.S.A. allowed it. Like the Bombing of Cubana Flight 455 on October 6, 1976, killing 73 on board. So this is the backdrop, of our story, and it is essential because when you ask why they would take such a chance across an ocean? These facts and more to come are part of the answer!

Photo by Nick Kenrick. on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

The Mariel Boatlift the story of the Capote family from La CUJAE a continuing series.

               

The tropical palms could not calm the pain or provide shade for the dark corners where families gathered in Cuban society in 1980 and made “the decision” of the only hope they saw in a grey communist “workers paradise” to leave by boat. My families story is about a young couple Hector(Papi) Lazaro Capote Pino age 32 and Ada(Mami) Marina Vargas Santiago age 26 as they told me their son and other memories and research. They had been married since 1972 but were sweethearts since 1968. Most of our family had left Cuba by 1980 during the time of the Mariel Boatlift they had left in the 1960s in what they called “Freedom Flights.” By the late 1970s, over 700,000 refugees had fled Cuba thru Varadero in Matanzas province for the United States.


Out of the seven brothers and sisters of Hector L. Capote only Roberto Capote age 53, Ricardo Capote Corzo age 54, and Delia Margarita Capote age 29 where still in Cuba. Also, his father Ricardo Hernandez Capote left Cuba on Aug 24, 1967, died in Miami in 1972 age 67 (his grave is in Plan Flagler Memorial Park lot L by a tree and trash can ). My Papi's Mother Delia Pino Perdomo died in Cuba in 1974, age 64. In the 1960s Delia and Delia Margarita wanted to leave Cuba and join the rest of the family already at that time in New York. This is where our family started in the U.S.A., but my Papi Hector L. Capote was sent to the UMAP labor camps around 1965-67 for a year and a half he was around 16 yrs old. Military Units to Aid Production or UMAPs (Unidades Militares de Ayuda a la Producción) were agricultural labor camps operated by the Cuban government from November 1965 to July 1968 in the province of Camagüey, but that is another story

                 Pictures of the Freedom flights from Varadero Beach Airport Cuba