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Cuban Asylum-Seekers Crash Mexican Embassy in Havana VOA News 28 Feb 2002 16:00 UTC 
A bus carrying more than 20 apparent Cuban asylum-seekers crashed through the gates of the Mexican embassy in Havana late Wednesday. There has been no official confirmation of the number of people involved or how long they would remain inside the embassy. A Mexican Embassy official today (Thursday) told Reuters News Service that 21 young Cubans, all males, had entered the mission and had been given food and medical checkups. The Cuban government has accused the Miami-based U.S. operated Radio Marti of provoking the incident. A government statement released Thursday says the radio's reporting on comments made by Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda, on a visit to Miami this week, led listeners to believe that Mexico would grant refuge to any Cuban who showed up. Mr. Casteneda's comment -- that the doors of the Mexican embassy in Havana are open to all Cuban citizens -- was widely quoted by various news media in Miami. In Havana, a Mexican embassy spokesman (Andres Ordonez) said Mr. Casteneda's remarks could have been misinterpreted. He said Mexico was making no such asylum offer. President Fidel Castro arrived on the scene early Thursday after the bus had been towed away. He was cheered by a group of government supporters. Details of the incident are sketchy because police and other security agents ordered journalists gathering around the embassy to leave. The southern Florida city of Miami has a large Cuban exile community. Radio Marti's broadcasts in Spanish are intended for audiences in Cuba.
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