The Cuban Exile In Reverse Thing

When we hear the word exile in relation to Cuba we think of the many victims of oppression who have fled to other countries to escape the clutches of the Cuban government.  Surprisingly enough there are also political exiles who have fled to Cuba seeking political asylum.  Most of these political exiles have sought refuge in Cuba to avoid some kind of criminal prosecution.

One such exile is JoAnne Deborah Byron better known as Assata Olugbala Shakur.  Assata Shakur, an African American, has been indicted for murder, armed robbery and kidnapping.  She was convicted in 1977 for the murder of a New Jersey State Trooper.  She was involved in a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike in which Trooper Werner Foerster was shot and killed.

Born in Queens, New York Shakur had a somewhat restless youth.  She graduated from The Community College Of New York (CCNY) where she joined the Black Panthers and the Black Liberation Army. She was involved in numerous criminal activities and became involved in an FBI manhunt in 1972, which eventually led to the incident on the New Jersey Turnpike.

After her conviction for first degree murder, Shakur was incarcerated in the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey.  Her treatment was criticized by human rights groups.  However in 1979 she escaped and eventually made her way to Cuba in 1984 where she sought political asylum.  The FBI has declared her to be a domestic terrorist and has offered a million dollars as reward for her capture.  All attempts to extradite her, including letters to the Pope, have failed.

While in exile in Cuba Shakur wrote a book called “Assata: In Her Own Words” in which she expresses her political views.  She claims to be an escaped slave of the political repression imposed by the US government towards people of color.  Her life has also been portrayed in literature, film, and song and as a side note, she is the step-aunt of the deceased hip hop artist Tupac Shakur.

Unlike the Cuban exiles in this country who yearn to someday return to the land of their birth, there is no such consolation for those that escape criminal prosecution.  All they will ever have is the sad existence of being a fugitive on the run.  For those seeking exile in Cuba as an alternative, they are only trading one prison for another.

Recently there was the case of Colton A. Harris-Moore, the “Barefoot Bandit.” “Colt,” as he was known by the followers of his exploits, was a teenager who committed numerous burglaries while being barefoot.  He was arrested in The Bahamas this past July after crash landing a plane he had stolen.  If he had only known about the Cuban Exile In Reverse Thing he would still be at large today.  Quite frankly I think he is better off

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