April 25, 1980

Two weeks after six Cuban men drove a Havana city bus through a gate onto the grounds of the Peruvian Embassy in Cuba intending to seek political asylum, more than 300 American boats had entered the port of Mariel, Cuba, to transport Cubans who wished to seek refuge outside the island, in spite of the U.S. government’s request that its citizens not become involved. The ensuing flood of an estimated 125,000 Cubans landing at American ports resulted in a reported 25,390 being housed at Fort Chaffee near Fort Smith (Sebastian County). Criticism of Governor Bill Clinton’s handling of the situation is believed to have influenced his defeat by Frank White in his 1980 campaign for reelection.