Jorge A. García Más, the Cuban who lost 14 relatives in the massacre of the 13 de Marzo Tugboat in July 1994, passed away in Miami this Sunday, nearing his 80th birthday.
García died as a result of "a painful illness" that incapacitated him for several months, reported his son Jorge Félix García in a communication made public on Facebook by activist Ramón Saúl Sánchez.
A teacher by profession and writer, García dedicated the last three decades of his life to bear witness to and spread the truth about the sinking of the tugboat by the Castro regime off the coast of Cuba, in the early morning of July 13, 1994. In the horrendous crime, 37 people lost their lives, including 10 children; their bodies were never handed over to their families.
Today, June 2, 2024, the life of a human being, who, filled with pain, filled the lives of many with love, comes to an end. What does not fade is the tireless work of this man in favor of justice; that will remain there forever, as an example of personal sacrifice and at the same time as a perpetual tribute to those to whom he dedicated the last 30 years of his existence, the victims of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo Incident," emphasized his son.
"The legacy of a man like my father undoubtedly creates commitment and sets an example to follow for anyone who has been deprived of justice by injustice," said Jorge Félix. "Let us be thankful for the time lived by his side, for what we learned on his path, for his embrace, his friendly hand."
“Jorge García Más (Jomás) is staying with us today, he is not leaving us,” stated his son.
Journalist Wilfredo Cancio Isla reported on his social media that García was suffering from cardiopulmonary sequelae due to COVID-19 and also had cancer.
He emphasized that, after the tragedy, García dedicated himself to "unraveling the details of that criminal act ordered by the Cuban government, a murder that remains unpunished despite the multiple evidence and reports presented in international forums."
Cancio exalts him as a "meticulous researcher, full of courage and passionate about pursuing the truth to its ultimate consequences" and praised his full dedication to "investigate, visit witnesses, and uncover everything that the authorities tried to dissolve in a shameful official version of a 'regrettable accident'".
García and his family emigrated to the United States as political refugees in 1999.
In 2001, he published his book "The Sinking of Tugboat 13 de Marzo," an essential testimonial work to understand what really happened around the departure of the vessel and how the crime was consummated a few kilometers from the coast of Havana.
Despite the profound pain and suffering of García, who among the victims of the mass murder lost his son Joel García Suárez, 20 years old, and his grandson Juan Mario Gutiérrez García, only 10, this tenacious Cuban did not give up on his effort to seek justice for the tragedy that plunged many Cuban families into mourning.
Last January, life dealt her another hard blow: her daughter María Victoria García Suárez passed away, who had lost her only son, Juan Mario, in the horrific attack, when he was ripped from her arms due to the powerful jets of water and the waves caused by three vessels of the regime.
The sinking of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo, which was heading to the United States with 68 people on board, was ordered by the regime of Fidel and Raul Castro and executed by vessels from the State Enterprise of Maritime Services (EESM), just seven miles (a little over 11 kilometers) from the coast of Havana.
The tugboat departed from the Salvamento pier, near Tallapiedra, at around three in the morning. When passing by the Navy base, close to the pier of the small boats from Regla and Casablanca, it was intercepted by three Polargo, who had the green light to carry out their macabre plan.
Through hitting and water cannon shots, they tried to prevent the tugboat from leaving. But it did not stop and managed to cross Havana Bay until reaching the open sea, where the massacre was carried out mercilessly. Only 31 people survived.
Thirty years later, the crime remains unpunished, and the guilty parties continue unpunished or have died, without being held accountable by the law for a crime against humanity.
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