CUBA EXPECTED TO FREE MORE KIN OF INVADERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00001R000100380074-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 7, 2000
• Sequence Number: 74
• Publication Date: December 27, 1962
• Content Type: NSPR

A STN(-,TON STAR C ri i 2
Approved For Release 2000/06/13 CIA-Rp 50-0001
CPYRGHT CPYRGHT
Refugees Greeted
Emotionally in
Miami Auditorium
MIAMI, Fla., Dec. 27 (AP). --
br ught 921 relatives of the
Be ~ of Pigs captives to Florida
to ay and to an emotional re
u on in the vast Dinner Key
A ditorium.
bout 600 of the prisoners,
w o were released last Sunday
ax Monday, were waiting a t
t auditorium when tkleV
re atives arrived by bus from
P rt Everglades, where their
s 'p docked 25 miles northeast
of here.
Barricades had been thrown
u inside so that Feed Cros7s
a thorities could stop and take
ti e names of the relatives as
t y arrived one busload after
another.
But it didn't work. Some
p isoners leaped over them t
embrace mothers, wives and
c ildren. A few soldiers col-
1 psed when they saw their
1 ed ones.
The first. woman to enter t
It 11, Mrs. Nereida Rodrigue?.
trada, 23, became incoherent
fen n she was unable to locate
Embrace Soon
Mr. and Mrs. Jose Delgad
t arfully embraced their son
oman, 28, when they saw hi
fr the first time in eigh
oaths.
"It is a miracle that we an
I ere," cried Mrs. Delgado, 55.
"Anything outside of Culp
1 oks like heaven," her husban
Treed.
Asked what was the 'ingc
rious of shortages of 1iyin
I
ad
I sentials in Cuba, Mr. Delgti plied: "The most grievous i
east another 1,000 relatives
scape from Communist-rule 1
aiba, joining the massive e
dus that has brought 200,01
ersons fleeing to freedom i
he United States.
The possibility that Presides 1
"ennedy might, come to Miar
gregk S'r~t3F1:'i;
ners
)Tess secretary, Pierre Saling
iealined to comment on it.
n addition to the prffioners' lie health, which,; ;would delay
ault, and three other Cubans menu w1"Wefewant to leave;
Manuel Artime. civilian head =There will be many more
the invasion forces captured of us to come," said ne refit
ter the 1961 Bay of Piggs fir
lonso, former- Havana attor- hours. This accomplishr'd. they
ey who was freed withqut ex, were to be taken in to the audi-
t
lanation from a Cuban prison or fume
Nine children were isolated
At noon, the first bus
with probable cases of measles
d of during the overnight voyage
itor- but medical authorities saw no!
t
th
h
ine
e s
ip.
uin to receive a welcome which reason to quaran
One little Cuban boy roamed
k
iang up at, every
Id contrast to the ld re- l.'hre ship, loo
ition that greeted the pr is- American he met and calling'
""
h
il
H
ll
t
K
c
eer
y,
o,
e
ners and the later arrivals ou
ennedy. mong the relatives. Food was sent aboard so that
A few of the newcomers some of the refugees could eat f
breakfast while others were be-
umpe'd over wooden barricades ing processed
alkett sedately up to those ship docked, the first refugee-
airi
b
th
t
l
. O
ng
o em
race
em
n
y
a, child-was carried down the
bout 300 persons were in the ship's ladder
.
uditorium. Two women and 10 children;
These probably were the best-were taken to Jackson Memo
reseed refugees in history. riot T os
ital in Adiami
p
nee-wealthy Spanish families Coast Guard said the passen-
f Cuba. gers would be taken off the
41,
' at a...,l-~41 i_ . .
..
___ ,
ose
of
t
f
a o
eet the African Pilot was Mrs. -
erta Barreto de los Hex'os of Ambulances on Pier
Mrs. Barretol had returned to {were lowered over the side and
risoner airlift Monday. She - About this time several refu-,
aid Premier Castro told her at;
deck A small.
d o
gees appeare
n
. he airport he would allow an- girl appeared in a red dress,
.4L.... t AAA .....1 .. 4...-.. -l 4L..- ~.___
he committee could 'select i; The ill, aged and pregnant
hem. were assisted gently down the
Donovan in Charge gangplank. One Negro crewman
carried a small boy and was
"We hope to send another rewarded with a smile for his
hip in two or three weeks," help. The crewman flashed
he said back a big grin.
James B
Donovan
New York' At 10:15 am the refugees
.
,
., ttorney who negotiated the re- I began leaving the ship in a
The African Pilot was high heels.
trangely quiet and seemed
e held on to
and
airdos
em 34Y the rails. One
1
. ~
their skirts, which swirled in
av. andkerchief. th
b
th
lk
d d
e
reeze as
ey wa
e
own
efugees were asked the gangplank
b
.
o' t ih
elow to prevent
From the ship, they walked
wn r ,s , .Crowding o the to a covered pier to receive
mall
o' vaccination
d fill
p
s an
Withotit prompting from Red out immigration cards.
rosk offic ls, they pitc ed in Devoting her last voyage to
~?oat~tas/~~1 anal-~~>~~~~~RII~19~?'Qr~l;~
rugged old workhorse of the sea,
which had carried ransom sup-
plies to Castro Cuba for the in-
vasion prisoners, now goes into
mothballs.
Seasickness, nervousness and
the mild outbreak of measi,?s
aboard the ship failed to damp-
en the enthusiwim,of the refit-
gees who gave rlip eve-. ythin?r
they owned to esc+,;.pe com-
munism and join loved ones in
the United States.
Only about 200 observers save
the freighter come in. The port
was closed to all but newsmen,
and authorized officials. A big;
sign said "welcome" in English.:
An American flag flew from
the stern of the freighter. One',
tug went out to help her in to
the dock.
Remained Awake
Joe McGowan. Associated;
Press rep o r t e r representing
American news agencies on the
African Pilot, said many pas-
sengers remained awake)
through the long night, too I
nervous and excited to sleep.
"I have a bed," said one el-
derly refugee, "but; who could
sleep at a time like this?"
A tingle of excitement swep'
through the ship when the en-
gines started last night in Ha-
vana harbor. As the :ship moved
out, the refugees sang the Cu-1,
ban national anthem.
Moving into international)
waters, the African Pilot picl ed
up an escort of three United
States Coast Guard vessels. The
freighter was designed to carry
only 12 passengers' and her life-
saving equipment was inade-
quate.
Moves at 18 Knots
Through mild seas, the Afri-
can Pilot moved at an 18-knot
clip, sped along by the north-
rushing Gulf Stream. Nurses
moved among the refugees giv-
ing medicine to the seas 1 c k.
The sickness was blamed in
many cases on overwrought
nerves and upset stomachs.
There were only 500 cots set
up in sheltered deck areas, but
there were blankets for all,
flown to Havana from the Unit-
ed States. Each person was giv-
en a :ox lunch including fried
 Approved For Release 2000/06/13 : CIA-RDP75-00001 R000100380074-5
chicken, a tomato, bread, but-' Cuba Sunday as down payment
ter and milk for, the children. ,-,n a $53 million commodity
"This is the first chicken my ,?ansom for 1,113 men Premier
f a in i 1 y has tasted in six Castro's troops captured in the
months," said Miro Gonzales April 17, 1961, invasion at the
Cuevas, who arrived in Havana Bay of pigs.
from Oriente Province yester- The outbound African Pilot
day to join the exodus. His glidedu past Morro Castle,:
son, Ramiro, 20, was among the' ancient stone sentinel of Ha-
Bay of Pigs captives who were vana harbor, at 6:51 p.m. -
liberated and flown to Florida 'about -two hours later than.
Sunday and Monday. scheduled.
Oldest of the refugees aboard In another development,
was Angla Ceballos de Marero, President Kennedy planned a
89-year-old grandmother bf one conference at Palm Beach,
of the prisoners. The youngest where he is spending .the
was a baby born 22 days ago. Christmas holidays, with five
Many women wore house- liberated, leaders of the Iva-
coats during the voyage. "I'm. sion force which was beaten
saving my good clothes to look I back in its Cuba attack 20
nice for my husband when I months ago.
arrive in Florida," one ex- White House Secretary Pierre
plained. Salinger, who announced the
Others wore curlers and fixed meeting, said the subject of the
their hair as the ship neared ` conference would be left to the
Port Everglades. Cubans.
AI}
?6? "Not even one more?" she
"I argued with them, but' asked,
they asked me, `Do you want' ,Not one more; we cannot do
to go or stay'?" it. It would be unsafe."
As a "Christmas bonus," Mr. There was no explanation.
Castro agreed to let the rela- The freighter brought to
tives leave Cuba, following the, Havana Sunday an $11 million'
prisoners who spend 20 months first shipment of food and
in Mr. Castro's crowded jails drugs asked by Mr. Castro in
after the gallant but futile ef- exchange for the, prisoners,
fort to 'free their country from The, Red Cross said yesterday
his rule. that companies have promised
Chief topic of conversation, to donate the $42 million worth
aboard the ship was the plight of goods still to be sent to
of a man who,, was turned Cuba.
away as the African Pilot pre- "Only shipping must be ar-
pared to move but, ranged," a" ' s !okesman said.
A shabbily dressed Negro this is five or six months."
raced up the rising_ gangplank this in five or six months."
shrieking "Ayudame (help. The relatives. began boarding
me) !" last night as the Afri- the ship at,.I 'p.m. yesterday in
can Pilot made ready to cast hot, sunny weather. Seventy
off. per cent were women and chil-
Guards on deck, strictly dren. Some of the elderly-
charged to le ore aboard! overcome by heat and emotion
the crowded ? regretfully -fainted on the docks. Some
barred his a Two Cuban went, aboard on stretchers or
soldiers on t pier scrambled in wheelchairs. Children looked
up and yank e their trembling bewildered as they waited in
countryman back to the dock. the long boarding line and
A man in th ew an arm 1woi Yid his shouts wore their best suits. mothers daubed at tears. Men
ders and led him away. Two
armed soldiers followed the pair
around a corner of a ware-
house crammed with $11 mil-
lion in drugs and food which,
proveed Aor elease bW&06'713: CIA-RDP75-00001 R00010038b
They left Cuba with little 1 boarding the African Pilot Yes-
but the clothes they wore. !, terday, Nancy Rodriguez, a rep-
Many items which apparently resentative of the prisoners'
exceeded Mr. Castro's limita- ' F a m i l i e s Committee, ap-
tions were taken from the proached Capt. Alfred Boerum
refugees on the dock at Ha- with an appeal to take more
vane. than 1?,000,
One woman said the soldiers i "I would like to," .the skipper
"took my sweater, cigarette replied, "but I am deeply sorry,
case and extra shoes, and ar- we absolutely must hold it at
gued over some medicine I had 1.000."
`j. "'
DEC