The Ministry of the Interior (MININT) publicly named the Cuban citizen Maritza Lugo Fernández, a resident of the United States, as the alleged mastermind behind the failed armed infiltration off the coast of Villa Clara, in the municipality of Corralillo.
The accusation was made by Colonel Víctor Álvarez Valle, the second chief of the Specialized Body of Crimes against State Security, during the special broadcast of the program "Razones de Cuba" this Friday.
Accusations from MININT: Who is Maritza Lugo Fernández?
“We have determined in the investigative process of criminal instruction that the intellectual authorship of this action belongs to the counterrevolutionary, Maritza Lugo Fernández, a Cuban resident in the United States,” said the colonel.
He added that from his farm "these actions were prepared" and identified her as "a counter-revolutionary leader of the November 30 Movement."
Álvarez said that Lugo was "providing money, subsidizing, organizing, financing" the execution of the operation. He maintained that some of those involved in the intercepted boat are members of his group and that the execution of these actions "has a violent profile."
According to her account, the woman "will also be added to the list of terrorists against Cuba," as she is being referred to by the detainees as "the main organizer."
The colonel stated that in 2024, following the foundation of the group called “Nido del Cuervo,” Lugo sought “external funding to encourage members to orchestrate an armed infiltration in Cuba.”
He pointed out that she had previously been sanctioned for the crimes of bribery and incitement. As if that weren't enough, he stated that the opposition figure used “her subversive actions” to connect with officials from the United States Embassy in Cuba in order to ensure her departure from the country along with her family.
The colonel did not provide additional details about that process, but he presented that background as part of the history that, in the authorities' opinion, links her to oppositional activities and confrontation with the Cuban state.
In the official narrative presented on television, these events do not appear as isolated incidents, but rather as part of a trajectory that culminated in the planning of the recent maritime operation.
The armed confrontation in Cuban waters
During the same program, the authorities described the context of the confrontation that occurred on February 25, when a boat coming from the United States was intercepted in waters that the government considers to be national jurisdiction.
The official version states that the group was carrying weapons and military supplies and allegedly opened fire on a unit of the Border Guard Troops, resulting in the captain of the Cuban vessel being injured.
The colonel stated that the group's intention was to "infiltrate, promote public disorder, carry out violent acts, attack military units" and "overthrow the revolution", something that he claimed is "well established".
In that framework, Lugo is portrayed as the figure who would have coordinated the logistics and funding from abroad.
So far, the accusations against Lugo are based solely on what was presented by the authorities on state television.
During the broadcast, no documentary evidence was presented against her, nor was her account of events offered. It was also not clarified whether she will face a legal proceeding in absentia or if there are formal efforts to seek accountability outside the national territory.
The public accusation now places her at the center of a case that the regime has labeled as an attempt of organized aggression from abroad.
However, beyond official statements, the evolution of the investigation and the eventual presentation of evidence will be crucial in supporting the accusations made in the state-controlled television space.
In her profile on Facebook Maritza Lugo, she stated this Saturday: "There is no greater act of love and sacrifice than one who gives their life for their brothers and the homeland. Down with the murderous Castro-Canel communism. Fire to the dictatorship."
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