The Nation : 20 Freed Cubans Emigrate

Cuba has allowed 20 former long-term political prisoners to emigrate to the United States in the past 10 weeks, sending them at the rate of two a week, according to U.S. officials. The officials, who asked not to be identified, said the piecemeal approach appeared aimed at eliminating the tumultuous receptions that have accompanied large-scale prisoner releases in the past and have received extensive media attention. All 20 Cubans were released from prison last May following a personal appeal to President Fidel Castro by French undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau, who visited Cuba in 1985. The last two of the 20 arrived Wednesday aboard a weekly charter flight that operates between Miami and Havana.