My husband and his family came from Cuba in the 60’s. The ones who came over as adults have explained how Castro used the campaign of “change” much like Obama. The previous president wasn’t all that well liked, but some saw through what Castro was offering. His family has repeatedly compared Obama to Castro because they see the same socialism/communism thinly veiled in Obama that Castro openly pushed.
If someone did not agree with Castro’s “change” then Che happily took care of any dissidents. Vocal dissidents tended to wind up dead while others ended up in prison, which was the case of a family member of my husband’s. The relative was eventually able to get out, but it was not without some time spent in a labor camp.
Just because someone came over before Castro took office, doesn’t mean, they weren’t a refugee from their homeland. Some knew the tide that was bringing Castro into office was going to be detrimental to their way of life and luckily got out before the dictator took office.
My point was not whether what Sr Cruz says is true, but whether he has he the right to say it. He does not.
Your viewpoint is shaped by information from your husband’s family.
My information comes from first hand experience on the island, and knowing a wide range of people, both on the island and in the entire range of the exile diaspora, from the 1960s to last Thursday, from Miami to Mexico to NY to Paris, writers, painters, musicians, former polítical prisoners and just regular people. And two decades of reading and study.
So I feel qualified to say, that yes it does, and no, they didn’t.
A person who left Cuba in 1957 was NOT fleeing Castro, since Castro didn’t come to power until 1959. Anyone who left Cuba in 1957 and represents themselves as a former political prisoner, and part of the exile diaspora is *un mentiroso sin vergüenza* - especially if they were engaged in domestic terrorism. ( Do a little research).
And nobody, nobody, nobody - I repeat, nobody - got out in 1957 because they “saw what was coming”. The biggest businesses in the world had their companies taken from them, the most learned and erudite intellectuals were taken by surprise, the thousands of normal, middle class families fleeing were completely unprepared.
You may believe as you choose - just remember that I was the one who called it on Rubio months before his actual betrayal -