Cubans defect during papal visit

Roman Catholic officials in Canada say 23 young Cubans, who had been participating in World Youth Day celebrations led by the Pope in Toronto, have defected.

Two hundred Cubans, accompanied by Cuban security guards, travelled to Canada for the event.

The president of the Canadian-Cuban Foundation told the BBC the 23 now intended to apply for political asylum in Canada, pointing to repression back home as their reason for leaving.

The announcement came as news emerged of the defection of a high-ranking Cuban Communist Party official and former ambassador to the United Nations.

The official, Alcibiades Hidalgo Basulto, fled Cuba last week on a raft and has requested asylum in the US.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service