3 from ‘Havana’ returning to Cuba

David Kihara

Friday, Dec. 3, 2004 | 9:16 a.m.

Three Cuban members of the cast or crew of the "Havana Night Club" show flew out of Las Vegas on Thursday, choosing not to seek asylum in America, instead returning to Cuba.

The three individuals were part of a troupe of more than 40 Cubans who are performing at the Stardust. Although the three did not choose to seek asylum in the United States, at least 50 Cubans performing with the show are seeking to remain in the country.

"They decided they did not want to stay and went home," said Susan Arons, executive vice-president with Rubenstein Communications Inc., on Thursday. "It was an individual decision, and as individuals they decided they wanted to go back to Cuba."

Rubenstein is a public relations company handling publicity for the "Havana Night Club" show.

The three Cubans, whose identities were not released, had informed the show's cast and crew previously that they wanted to return to Cuba.

Even though the "Havana Night Club" show at the Stardust is scheduled to run until Jan. 11, the absence of the three will not affect the ongoing show, Arons said.

"We've known they were leaving, so we worked around it," Arons said, who added that in previous performances, the cast had worked with fewer than 30 cast members when the entire cast was not available.

The three Cubans who returned include a singer, musician and technician with the show, she said.

Forty-four Cuban cast members of "Havana Night Club" asked for asylum at the George Federal Building in Las Vegas in mid-November. Another six Cuban cast members arrived in Las Vegas from Berlin later that week and are also seeking asylum. The six Cubans who arrived from Germany were in Berlin awaiting visas to enter the United States.

Currently, there are 50 Cuban performers in Las Vegas seeking asylum. One more Cuban performer now in Berlin is set to arrive in Las Vegas next week, and she is expected to request asylum, Arons said.

Arons would not say where the three Cubans were scheduled to fly to, citing security concerns.

"There are risks going back and there are hard decisions to stay," Arons said. "At the end of the day, they are going home."