This Sunday marks the 31st anniversary of the tugboat 13 de Marzo massacre, one of the most infamous crimes of Castroism.
The event occurred in the early hours of July 13, 1994, near the shores of Havana.
Carried out with premeditation, the massacre occurred seven miles from the Havana waterfront and resulted in 37 deaths, including 10 minors.
The bodies of the victims have never been recovered from the ocean floor, according to the investigation by Jorge A. García, a Cuban writer and journalist who lost 14 family members in this incident, and who passed away in 2024 after dedicating the last three decades of his life to witnessing and spreading the truth about the sinking.
The sinking of the tugboat 13 de Marzo became one of the darkest and most tragic episodes in Cuba's contemporary history, and paradoxically, it remains an event unknown to a large part of the island's population.
The vessel, which was carrying 68 people desperate to escape the oppressive regime in search of freedom, was deliberately attacked by boats from the Cuban government.
Three Cuban tugboats, Polargo 1, Polargo 2, and Polargo 3, were responsible for sinking the vessel by ramming it and blasting it with huge jets of water, the survivors reported.
For activists, opponents, survivors of the massacre, and Cuban-American politicians, the impunity enjoyed by the Cuban regime, responsible for this massacre, is an affront to human rights and to the memory of those who perished on that tragic day.
The sinking of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo was ordered by the regime of Fidel and Raúl Castro and carried out by vessels of the State Maritime Services Company (EESM), just seven miles (just over 11 kilometers) off the coast of Havana.
The tugboat departed from the Salvamento dock, near Tallapiedra, around three in the morning. As it passed the Navy base, close to the dock of the small boats in Regla and Casablanca, it was intercepted by the three Polargo, who had the green light to carry out their macabre plan.
Through a series of jerks and blasts from water cannons, they tried to prevent the tugboat from leaving. However, it did not stop and managed to cross the bay of Havana, heading out to sea, where the massacre was mercilessly carried out.
31 years after that tragedy, the guilty have not been brought to justice. The Cuban government tried to portray what happened as an accident. The Cuban authorities never conducted a judicial process, and ultimately silenced the case despite the repeated attempts by family members and activists to bring those responsible to court.
Frequently asked questions about the sinking of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo
What happened to the Tugboat 13 de Marzo?
The Tugboat 13 de Marzo was deliberately sunk by Cuban government boats on July 13, 1994, resulting in 37 deaths, including 10 minors. The vessel was carrying 68 people who were attempting to flee the Cuban regime in search of freedom.
Why is the sinking of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo considered an infamous crime of Castroism?
This act was premeditated and carried out under the orders of the regime of Fidel and Raúl Castro, using vessels from the State Maritime Services Company. Despite the complaints and evidence presented by survivors and activists, those responsible have never been brought to justice, which constitutes an affront to human rights.
Are there any official investigations regarding the case of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo?
The Cuban authorities never conducted a judicial process regarding the sinking of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo, and they have attempted to silence the case. Despite the efforts of family members and activists, the Cuban government portrayed the incident as an accident, without taking any responsibility.
How many people died in the sinking of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo?
In the sinking of the Tugboat 13 de Marzo, 37 people died, among them 10 minors. This tragic event has been remembered and condemned as one of the darkest chapters in Cuba's recent history.
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