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The Mariel Boatlift
In 1980, more than 10,000 Cubans packed into the Peruvian embassy grounds in the capital Havana and asked for asylum.
This event led the Cuban President Fidel Castro to announce that anyone who wanted to leave Cuba could do so.
The ensuing mass exodus to the US is known as the Mariel Boatlift.
Mirta Oijto was one of many who made the journey to a new life.
