Mariel Boatlift Begins: 125,000 Cuban Refugees Reach Florida
The Mariel boatlift began on April 20, 1980, after Fidel Castro unexpectedly opened the port of Mariel to emigration. Over the next five months, 125,000 Cubans crossed the 90-mile Florida Strait in a flotilla of fishing boats, pleasure craft, and anything that could float. Castro used the exodus to empty his prisons and mental institutions, mixing criminals and psychiatric patients among the refugees. The sudden influx overwhelmed processing facilities in Key West and created a tent city at the Orange Bowl in Miami. President Carter initially welcomed the refugees but reversed course as political pressure mounted. The boatlift permanently transformed South Florida's demographics, culture, and politics, making Miami the unofficial capital of Latin America.
April 20, 1980
46 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on April 20
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