 thumb|250px|cuban refugees arriving in crowded boats during the mariel boatlift crisis. the mariel boatlift was a mass emigration of cubans who departed from cuba's mariel harbor for the united states between april 15 and october 31, 1980. the event was precipitated by a sharp downturn in the cuban economy which led to internal tensions on the island and a bid by up to 10,000 cubans to gain asylum in the peruvian embassy. the cuban government subsequently announced that anyone who wanted to leave could do so, and an exodus by boat started shortly afterward. the exodus was organized by cuban-americans with the agreement of cuban president fidel castro. the exodus started to have negative political implications for u.s. president jimmy carter when it was discovered that a number of the exiles had been released from cuban jails and mental health facilities. the mariel boatlift was ended by mutual agreement between the two governments involved in october 1980. by that point, as many as 125,000 cubans had made the journey to florida. ==background== ===in the united states=== the mariel boatlift had its origins circa 1977 during a period when relations between cuba and the united states were improving. the carter administration established an interest section in havana and the cuban government reciprocated by establishing an interest section in washington, d.c. cuba subsequently agreed to the release of several dozen political prisoners and allowed cuban americans to return to the island to visit relativesâa privilege that had been denied previously to cuban citizens living abroad. initially, the carter administration had an open-arms policy in regard to cuban immigrants. cubans were immediately granted refugee status and all the rights that went with it. additionally, public opinion towards cuban refugees was initially favorable. this situation changed when it was discovered that the refugees included criminals and people from cuba's mental hospitals. castro arranged for the inclusion of criminals and people with mental illness (who were still stigmatized at the time) among the political and economic refugees in order to rid cuba of undesirables and to damage the image of cuban exiles. this included homosexuals, such as the poet reinaldo arenas. united states media accounts such as a may 11, 1980 new york times article, and the 1983 movie scarface, suggested that the refugees consisted largely of undesirables. this heightened tensions between the united states and cuba.{{cite journal |last=skop |first=emily h. |title=race and place in the adaptation of mariel exiles |journal=int
1980_in_Cuba 1980_in_the_United_States Cuban-American_culture_in_Florida CubaaUnited_States_relations History_of_Key_West,_Florida