▁Ess ays ▁in ▁Econom ic ▁& ▁Business ▁History ▁( 2 0 1 2 ) ▁ 2 2 : 2 7 5 - 8 9 . ▁ ▁online ▁ ▁Cuba ▁ ▁Carter ▁hoped ▁to ▁improve ▁relations ▁with ▁Cuba ▁upon ▁taking ▁office , ▁but ▁any ▁th aw ▁in ▁relations ▁was ▁prevent ed ▁by ▁on going ▁Cold ▁War ▁disput es ▁in ▁Central ▁America ▁and ▁Africa . ▁In ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁Cub an ▁leader ▁F idel ▁Castro ▁announced ▁that ▁anyone ▁who ▁wished ▁to ▁leave ▁Cuba ▁would ▁be ▁allowed ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁through ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Mar iel . ▁After ▁Carter ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁would ▁provide ▁" open ▁arms ▁for ▁the ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁refuge es ▁seeking ▁freedom ▁from ▁Commun ist ▁dom ination ", ▁Cub an ▁Americans ▁arranged ▁the ▁Mar iel ▁boat l ift . ▁The ▁Ref uge e ▁Act , ▁signed ▁earlier ▁in ▁the ▁year , ▁had ▁provided ▁for ▁annual ▁cap ▁of ▁ 1 9 , 5 0 0 ▁Cub an ▁imm igr ants ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁per ▁year , ▁and ▁required ▁that ▁those ▁refuge es ▁go ▁through ▁a ▁review ▁process . ▁By ▁September , ▁ 1 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁Cub ans ▁had ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁many ▁faced ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁in ade qu ate ▁food ▁and ▁housing . ▁Carter ▁was ▁widely ▁critic ized ▁for ▁his ▁handling ▁of ▁the ▁boat l ift , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁elect or ally ▁important ▁state ▁of ▁Florida . ▁ ▁Asia ▁R appro ch ement ▁with ▁China