8249: Rescued Cubans Seek Asylum in Haiti (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: dgcraig@att.net
Rescued Cubans Seek Asylum in Haiti


By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Twelve Cubans whose sailboat sank on
the way to Florida and were rescued by a Haitian freighter asked
Wednesday for political asylum in Haiti, Radio Vision 2000
reported.

The freighter picked the men out of the Old Bahama Channel on May
31. Their boat sank in international waters near Cay Lobos island,
about 250 miles from the United States.

The group included doctors and other professionals, Yvon Paul, a
central government deputy representative in Cap-Haitien, told
independent Radio Vision 2000.

The Cubans were examined at Cap-Haitien's Justinien Hospital and
found to be in good health. They were jailed in the Cap-Haitien
police station pending a government decision on their asylum
request.

Haiti re-established diplomatic relations with Cuba in 1996, 35
years after the government of dictator Francois ``Papa Doc''
Duvalier severed them as a gesture of good will toward the United
States. Since then, cooperation between the Caribbean nations has
grown.

About 800 Cuban doctors and medical personnel provide care in many
remote areas of Haiti, and more than 100 Haitians have received
medical school scholarships in Cuba. Cuban technicians also assist
Haiti with fishery and agriculture projects.