Placing a Massacre of Cuban Civilians Into Context [View all]

[naaman fletcher]

http://blog.panampost.com/2013/07/placing-a-massacre-of-cuban-civilians-into-context/

Cuba is being subjected to a totalitarian dictatorship that for over half a century has erased and rewritten inconvenient chapters of its history. As was the case with the Soviet Union under Stalin, the scale of the crimes cannot be accurately measured during the life of the dictator. Occasionally, however, state security and the propaganda machinery, unable to cover up a particular crime, offer an insight into the regime’s underlying nature. The events of July 13, 1994, are one such instance.

What Happened

The July 13, 1994, massacre that took place just six miles off the Cuban coastline and claimed thirty-seven lives, the majority women and children, is one instance where the true nature of the Cuban government was exposed. Three Cuban families seeking a better life away from the dictatorship sought passage aboard the Cuban tugboat the “13 de Marzo.” The captain of the tug was part of the group wanting to leave, and it left Havana on Wednesday, July 13, 1994 in the early morning hours.

Six miles from the Cuban coast line the “13 de Marzo” tugboat was confronted by three other tugboats. Amnesty International, in their 1997 investigation, reported that the vessels which attacked the “13 de Marzo” were named and identified as belonging to the Ministry of Transport:

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Despite the “13 de Marzo” tugboat attempting to surrender and the mothers holding up their children begging for mercy the other tugboats continued to ram them and use high pressure hoses to blast the passengers overboard. Following this they began to circle the wreckage with the aim of creating a whirlpool affect to ensure that any survivors would drown. Their plans were dashed, however, when a Greek trawler passing by witnessed the massacre. It was then and only then that the attack was suspended and the survivors picked up.

Read more: http://blog.panampost.com/2013/07/placing-a-massacre-of-cuban-civilians-into-context/#ixzz2YUM7OKni