Cuba Evicts Men From Embassy
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HAVANA — Cuban police entered the Mexican Embassy early Friday and detained 21 young men who had crashed a stolen bus through the gates two days earlier and had asked to be taken out of Cuba.
The unarmed, specially trained police took action after Mexico asked Cuba to remove the men. Authorities in both countries said the men did not put up any resistance.
Mexican authorities said they believed that the men had no grounds to fear political persecution. Mexico said the men did not ask for political asylum and wanted to emigrate for purely economic reasons.
After commandeering a public bus, the men crashed the embassy gates Wednesday night.
Mexican Ambassador Ricardo Pascoe said the decision to evict the men was made after they rejected requests by Mexican Foreign Relations Undersecretary Gustavo Iruegas to leave and after Mexico learned that at least 13 of the 21 had criminal records.
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