The tension increases. The Ministry of the Interior of announced this Wednesday the death of four crew members of a US vessel after a shooting with Cuban security forces near the coast, in waters near the province of Villa Clara.
The vessel, with registration from the state of Florida, “approached” Cuban territorial waters “one nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, in the Corralillo municipality.” After that, A unit of the island’s Border Guard Troops made up of five people requested identification to its members.
“From the offending boat, fire was opened against the Cuban troops which caused the commander of the Cuban vessel to be injured,” the Cuban Ministry of the Interior detailed in a statement, adding that, consequently, Four crew members of the boat died and six others received medical attention after being injured.
The authorities have opened an investigation to clarify the facts. “In the face of current challenges, Cuba ratifies its desire to protect territorial watersbased on the fact that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban State in favor of the protection of its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the note highlights.
Incident in a context of high tension between the US and Cuba
The incident took place in a context of high tension between the US and Cuba, after the Trump Administration decided to impose a oil siege on the island and demanded that the country’s leaders reach an agreement.
As EFE recalls, In 2022, two events of this kind were reported in Cuba. In one of those cases, A speedboat from the US fired on Cuban border guard forces near Villa Clara and injured a Cuban officer.
The other incident took place in Bahia Honda (west) when A boat from the US collided with a Minint patrol boat and the result was the sinking of the first and the death of several of its crew.
