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!
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!
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