Orwell in the Tropics

IT’S a wretched story, like so many out of Cuba, but it has a twist: the wretchedness of the government of the Bahamas. These islands are located in an awkward position, just northeast of Cuba, just southeast of Florida. When Cubans flee on rafts and other pathetic craft, they sometimes drift into Bahamian waters, and are picked up by that country’s coast guard. From this point, a horrible drama begins (even beyond the drama of a perilous departure from Cuba): The rafters are kept in a detention camp, under savage conditions. And they face the nightmare threat of being repatriated to Cuba. The Bahamian government, despite being a democracy, and an ally of the United States, has a very cozy relationship with Castro. They fear him, work with him, submit to him. And this puts the lives of some remarkably brave people at risk.

Seven of those lives belong to members of a Cuban opposition party: the Frank País November 30th Democratic party. A little explanation: País was a revolutionary, a democratic fighter against the Batista dictatorship. On November 30, 1956, he led an uprising in Santiago de Cuba, later to be celebrated. País was gunned down the next summer. Today, the Frank País/November 30th party is banned, like all parties in Cuba except Castro’s. And from it come some of the most admirable people you will ever encounter.

About the Author

Jay Nordlinger

Jay Nordlinger was a senior editor of National Review and a book fellow at National Review Institute.

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IT’S a wretched story, like so many out of Cuba, but it has a twist: the wretchedness of the government of the Bahamas. These islands are located in an awkward position, just northeast of Cuba, just southeast of Florida. When Cubans flee on rafts and other pathetic craft, they sometimes drift into Bahamian waters, and are picked up by that country’s coast guard. From this point, a horrible drama begins (even beyond the drama of a perilous departure from Cuba): The rafters are kept in a detention camp, under savage conditions. And they face the nightmare threat of being repatriated to Cuba. The Bahamian government, despite being a democracy, and an ally of the United States, has a very cozy relationship with Castro. They fear him, work with him, submit to him. And this puts the lives of some remarkably brave people at risk.

Seven of those lives belong to members of a Cuban opposition party: the Frank País November 30th Democratic party. A little explanation: País was a revolutionary, a democratic fighter against the Batista dictatorship. On November 30, 1956, he led an uprising in Santiago de Cuba, later to be celebrated. País was gunned down the next summer. Today, the Frank País/November 30th party is banned, like all parties in Cuba except Castro’s. And from it come some of the most admirable people you will ever encounter.