Cuban
Couple Seeks Asylum in United States |
Fri Apr 4, 8:19 PM ET
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A Cuban
couple, one of whom worked for Cuba's mission to the
United Nations (news - web sites), sought asylum in
the United States on Friday, sources at the United Nations
said.
Reuters Photo
AP Photo
Slideshow:
Fidel Castro
The man and woman, who were not identified,
walked into the U.S. mission to the United Nations,
across the street from U.N. headquarters, early on Friday,
the sources said. No reason was given for the defections.
U.S. officials had no comment and a State Department
spokeswoman in Washington said she had no information.
The defections come during a period of heightened tensions
between the United States and Cuba. In the past two
weeks, President Fidel Castro (news - web sites)'s government
has repeatedly attacked the top U.S. diplomat in Havana,
James Cason, for actively supporting the island's small
opposition.
Cuban authorities have arrested 78 dissidents who are
being put on trial for collaborating with the United
States in the harshest crackdown on Castro's opponents
in a decade.
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