Cuba heavy metal band seeks asylum in United States

Cuba heavy metal band seeks asylum in United States
Last Updated: Thursday, July 25, 2013, 08:22

Miami: Six members of a Cuban heavy metal group requested political
asylum after touching down in the United States, a band member said.

The musicians, who left Havana on Sunday night, touched down in Miami in
the early hours of Monday morning en route to a concert in Oakland,
California.

"It's not something we had thought about until we got here," said
yesterday bass player Fanny Tachin, confirming reports of the request
which first appeared on Cafe Fuerte, a blog catering to Cuban immigrants
in Florida.

Tachin said members of the band 'Hipnosis' had lodged requests after
lead singer Ramiro Pupo decided to seek asylum.

"Once we saw that we all decided to follow," Tachin said.

Tachin said the musicians had "sentimental, family and economic" reasons
for seeking asylum, noting that Pupo's daughter already lived in Miami
while the mother of another band member was also a US resident.

Thousands of Cubans try to flee their homeland every year for the United
States, where they are guaranteed political asylum.

Tachin said the six band members planned to pursue their careers in the
United States.

AFP

Source: "Cuba heavy metal band seeks asylum in United States" -
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