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The Democratic congresswoman from Florida, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, expressed deep concern over the shooting that occurred this Wednesday in waters near Cuba, which resulted in the deaths of four people aboard a vessel registered in Florida, and questioned both the official account from the Cuban government.
In a message posted on social media, Wasserman Schultz expressed that she is "deeply concerned" about reports of a confrontation involving forces of the Cuban regime and a Florida-registered vessel, as well as what she termed the "silence" from the Trump Administration regarding the incident.
The legislator stated that her office has already contacted the State Department to request more information and emphasized that the incident occurred despite the alleged ongoing negotiations between Washington and Havana.
"We cannot trust the Cuban regime's version without scrutiny. We need an immediate investigation into this shooting and for the Cuban regime to be held accountable for its repeated use of lethal force against Americans at sea," he stated.
The event has been analyzed by various American politicians, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stated that the government will conduct an independent verification of what happened in the armed confrontation that took place near the province of Villa Clara.
In statements made this Wednesday and reported by Telemundo, Rubio said: “We are going to independently verify this to know what exactly happened here.”
The head of U.S. diplomacy explained that Cuban authorities have been in communication with the U.S. Coast Guard, but he cautioned that the initial reports are incomplete.
He added that Washington will use the existing official channels between both countries, including the embassy in Havana, to accurately clarify the circumstances of the incident.
According to the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, the exchange of gunfire occurred after a boat registered in Florida entered Cuban territorial waters and opened fire on a Border Guard unit. This version is being assessed by U.S. authorities.
During the same testimony, Rubio was also asked about the sale of oil to Cuba. The secretary stated that the private sector has always had the legal capacity to sell crude to the island and attributed the current energy crisis in Cuba to the economic model of the Havana government, which he claimed, "does not exist or function anywhere in the world."
The incident remains under review as U.S. authorities attempt to confirm the identities of the victims and accurately piece together what happened during the confrontation, which has elicited reactions from both sides of the political spectrum in Florida.
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