The Cuban-American political scientist Jorge I. Domínguez, who has been academically linked to Harvard University for decades, where he served as Vice President for International Affairs, believes that the boat shot down by Cuban border guards on the morning of this Wednesday near Cayo Falcones, in Corralillo, Villa Clara, may have violated the sovereignties of Cuba and the United States, but in no case is it a terrorist act.
In an interview granted to CiberCuba, Domínguez outlined two scenarios: if they are citizens acting in their own country, it might not be a violation of sovereignty, but if they were residing in the U.S. and used a boat registered in Florida, there would indeed be a violation of Cuban sovereignty, and this is the perspective he leans towards.
After what happened, he believes that if in the coming days there is a clear condemnation from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warning that these tragedies cannot be repeated, it would reduce the tension between Cuba and the United States, despite the fact that the Russian Presidential Press Secretary stated that the incident involving the boat is raising the stakes in the tension between the two countries.
In essence, Domínguez suggests that a U.S. condemnation of what happened would reduce tensions and clarify the illegality in both countries. On the contrary, the lack of condemnation would increase frictions with Cuba.
Referring to the tragedy that has left four Cubans dead and six wounded in the boat, along with a regime commander injured by the coast guard, Domínguez deems the use of "terrorists" to discredit opponents inappropriate, and defines terrorism as violence against innocent non-combatants. In fact, he compares the incident to "a confrontation with border guards (state forces) and that, he insisted, "is not terrorism. It would be terrorism to attack civilians in a square, not to confront the Armed Forces."
In this regard, he recalled the classic principle that, in an armed conflict, civilians (men, women, and children) must be protected, a concept that dates back to Saint Thomas Aquinas. "In this case (the one involving the boat), it was a combat between armed individuals," he emphasized.
At this point, Domínguez believes that there should already be an exchange of information between the FBI and the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, and a possible authorization for FBI agents to travel to Villa Clara should be in the works to conduct on-site inspections and compare findings. In fact, he emphasizes that the stance of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the distance taken when he was asked about what happened with the boat suggest preliminary knowledge of the case, although he stated that they would open an investigation and take measures accordingly.
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