Page "Federico Laredo Brú" Paragraph 8

On May 27, 1939, the ocean liner SS St. Louis arrived, carrying 930 Jewish refugees from Hamburg, Germany fleeing Hitler's persecutions, and was refused permission to land by Brú.

Cuban government-issued landing certificates held by the passengers had been invalidated by Brú's government during their transit.

Two people attempted suicide and dozens more threatened to do the same.

Ultimately, only 20-odd refugees were permitted to disembark at Havana and the ship, having likewise failed to enter the US, ultimately disembarked its remaining passengers in England, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.