Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 ─ The First Twenty Days

Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980 recounts first-hand the drama and political intrigue that erupted when more than thirty thousand Cuban refugees fled to Florida and the stories of the first responders who aided them.

Kate Dupes Hawk has published articles on medical history and the Mariel Boatlift. She has developed three museums for the Florida National Guard Historical Foundation and was awarded the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service medal for her work on the Camp Blanding, Florida, Museum of World War II. Ron Villella retired as vice-president of Smith, Bryan & Myers, a lobbying firm in Tallahassee, Florida. He served as Florida Governor Bob Graham’s first director of administration. Adolfo Leyva de Varona is an associate professor at Florida State University-Panama in the Republic of Panama, where he teaches international relations and Latin American history. He is the author of Cuba: Assessing the Threat to U.S. Security and Propaganda and Reality: A Look at the U.S. Embargo against Castro's Cuba. Kristen Cifers is the executive editor and co-owner of Florida Media, Inc., where she has edited and published Florida Monthly Magazine, Florida Living, Florida Parks & Wildlife, Florida Fishing & Boating, and other periodicals.