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The regime's spokesperson, Humberto López, denied on Thursday that the Italian citizen Bartolomé (Berto) Savina is linked to the multiple hit-and-run that occurred in Havana on August 25.
According to a post on Facebook, López stated that “the Italian citizen Bartolomé (Berto) Savina has no connection to the unfortunate incident that occurred during the early hours of August 25 in Havana. He has been out of Cuba since Monday, August 18.”
The official state television presenter added that Savina "has a long-standing and well-established relationship with the country and the Cuban people."
Regarding the accident that resulted in one death and eight injuries, López stated that an investigation is underway and that the competent authorities will provide information about the case "in respect of the rights and guarantees of due process."
According to the spokesperson, media and individuals "manipulated and used pain as a weapon," labeling them as not serious and as liars repeatedly.
What López omitted is that the regime has remained silent about the investigation, which has sparked multiple theories about who the true culprit might be.
Hours after the unfortunate incident, the Cuban Ministry of the Interior (MININT) reported that in the early morning, a 35-year-old woman died after being hit by a foreign national, without providing further details about the responsible party.
The individual was driving a car at high speed and struck several people at different locations in the Centro Habana and Habana Vieja municipalities, added the brief statement.
According to a statement from the Ministry of the Interior, the incident occurred around 2:30 a.m. when the driver, whose identity has not been revealed either at that time or up to today, struck a total of nine people in the public roadway.
However, they stressed that the perpetrator was arrested by law enforcement and was under investigation.
They emphasized that the authorities were working to clarify the circumstances surrounding this incident, which was described as "unfortunate" by the MININT.
The regime felt the need to remove one of its most important official spokespersons, Humberto López, after the independent newspaper 14yMedio published on Wednesday that the person arrested for the multiple hit-and-run incident on August 25 was Berto Savina, an Italian businessman close to Fidel Castro and the owner of the foreign currency store Casalinda.
The revelation, which directly linked Savina to the power elite in Cuba and showed him in photos alongside Miguel Díaz-Canel, forced the propaganda apparatus to respond in order to deny what had been reported.
The investigation by the portal was based on sources that, due to the alleged close ties of the case with the Castro leadership, requested to remain anonymous.
The secrecy surrounding the case, along with the public outcry from the victim's sister days after the incident, has heightened the mystery surrounding the event.
Days have passed since 35-year-old Mairovis Valier Heredia died after being struck on Galiano Street in Havana, and her family claims they have not yet received clear information from the authorities about the person responsible for the incident.
Amid brief official statements, journalistic investigations, and denials from its spokespersons, the regime has avoided the simplest and most direct action: informing who was responsible for the fatal incident in Havana.
Frequently Asked Questions about the multiple pedestrian accident in Havana and the involvement of Berto Savina
Is Berto Savina involved in the multiple hit-and-run incident in Havana?
Humberto López, spokesperson for the Cuban regime, denied that Berto Savina is involved in the multiple hit-and-run incident that occurred in Havana. According to López, Savina was not in Cuba at the time of the incident, as he had left the country on August 18, a week before the event.
What details are known about the multiple hit-and-run incident in Havana?
The incident occurred in the early morning of August 25 and left one person dead and eight injured. The driver, a foreign citizen, was arrested, but his identity has not been officially disclosed. The Ministry of the Interior reported that the incident is under investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding it.
Why is there controversy surrounding Berto Savina's involvement in the incident?
The controversy arises because the independent newspaper 14ymedio published that the detained individual was Berto Savina, an Italian businessman linked to the Cuban regime. However, Humberto López denied this information, stating that Savina was not in Cuba at the time of the accident. The case has been surrounded by secrecy, leading to multiple theories about the true culprit.
What have the Cuban authorities said about the judicial process regarding the accident?
Cuban authorities have remained silent about the judicial process against the alleged responsible party for the incident. It has been reported that the case is under investigation, but no details about the driver or their nationality have been disclosed. This secrecy has sparked criticism and mistrust from the public and independent media.
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