I had not heard of this until the movie 12 Years A Slave came out, and then soon after on a walking tour in Boston. The practice is horrific, as was slavery, and Cubans and others turned a blind eye for the same reason they accepted slavery - $$$. Freed slaves, captured slaves what is the difference - both cruel and disgusting. Humans can be convinced that anything is justifiable - slavery, abuse, colonization, cruelty, war, murder, destroying the environment, factory farming, child labour, horrible working conditions to build soccer stadiums in Qatar, etc- when it feeds their greed and need to "win". Yikes - touchy subject for me!!