Speech #920067123

I do think that here there has been a misunderstanding of the whole concept of the Cuban airlift. the socalled Cuban freedom flights.. I would like to first go back into the history of this matter. This refugee program from Cuba has encompassed four different administrations. going back to the Eisenhower administration beginning in 1959. As a matter of fact. in January 1959. when Castro first came into power in the Cuban revolution. the refugee program from Cuba began and it has almost never stopped. At first it was a trickle. At first it existed as certain refugees got on commercial airline flights to the United States. mostly to Florida. These flights have brought in so many refugees.from Cuba that President Eisenhower set up a Cuban Refugee Center as early as 1960 tohandle special problems in connection with the Cuban refugee program. � When .President Kennedy succeeded President Eisenhower. he transferred this Cuban refugee program Into. the Department of Health. Education. and Welfare. which was then headed. as we know. of course. under the leadership of the now very able Senator from Connecticut