Cuban Television accused the United States of maintaining a historical practice of armed infiltrations against the island and stated that such actions are part of its policy towards Cuba.
In the news broadcast, the announcer Rey Gómez stated that the failed infiltration on February 25 off the coast of Villa Clara is not an isolated incident but rather a continuation of a trend that—according to him—dates back to 1959.
"And from 1959 to the present, there have been 189 infiltrations by boats from the United States with terrorist aims, so the operation that was thwarted last Wednesday in our country is just the latest attempt of a practice that has historically been permitted, if not organized and financed, by the very government that, with absolute cynicism, accuses Cuba of sponsoring terrorism," he stated.
The presenter also assured that, in preliminary statements, those involved acknowledged their intentions and that the seized weaponry supports that official version: “In their preliminary statements, the individuals themselves admitted that they came with terrorist intentions; the stash of weapons and equipment seized clearly demonstrated that they were not planning a camping trip, let alone fishing. However, both on social media and in the press, especially in South Florida, they insist on telling a different story.”
Within that argument, he added: “The truth is that events of this nature are incited by those who thrive on rallies and explosive speeches, but even the crazies don’t put their lives at risk; they push others but don’t take the hit themselves.”
Rey Gómez presented three conclusions drawn from the incident. "The first is that in Miami, groups that organize aggressive plans against Cuba operate with complete freedom, while federal authorities do nothing to stop them. The second is that the mechanisms in the United States for monitoring vessel movement in the Caribbean are extremely selective and reflect Washington's double standards on this and other issues."
The third conclusion was a direct statement about U.S. policy: “There is a third conclusion, armed aggression remains a part of U.S. policy towards Cuba; it may be that this time the White House did not give the order, but it has done so for so long that current terrorists feel entitled to continue doing so, even if it means violating U.S. laws themselves.”
The Canal Caribe itself published the segment on its Facebook account under the heading “Cuba under siege: infiltrations of boats coming from the United States,” where it reiterated the figure of 189 infiltrations since 1959 and claimed that the recent operation corresponds to a practice “allowed, organized, and financed” by Washington in the same message shared on its official Facebook profile.
The confrontation occurred in waters near Corralillo, in Villa Clara, where four occupants of a boat from Florida died and several others were injured and detained. According to the account provided by Cuban authorities, the vessel entered territorial waters and opened fire on a unit of Border Guard Troops, whose commander was injured. The action was defended as "rational" and "proportional" by the head of the General Staff of that force while publicly explaining the protocol applied in such incidents, in a statement covered in the official information on the use of force.
Authorities also state that the group initially set out in two boats from the vicinity of Cayo Maratón in Florida, and that one broke down before reaching Cuba, prompting all the occupants and supplies to be transferred to a single vessel before continuing their journey, according to the public reconstruction regarding the departure of the vessels.
In the official statements, the resident in the United States, Maritza Lugo Fernández, was also identified as the alleged mastermind behind the operation, while the Prosecutor's Office warned that the survivors could face charges related to terrorism with penalties that could reach life imprisonment or the death penalty, as detailed in the identification of the alleged organizer and the applicable legal framework.
From Washington, the initial reactions were cautious. Vice President JD Vance stated that the U.S. government was monitoring the situation and said, “Certainly, it is a situation we are monitoring; I hope it is not as serious as we fear. But I cannot say more, because I simply do not know more.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the episode as “very unusual” and assured that his government would gather its own information before making a statement.
Rubio later added that the United States will independently verify "what happened" and will use the existing official channels between both countries to clarify the facts, as he stated while referring to the investigation announced by Washington.
According to information released by Bloomberg, both governments have handled the incident "calmly,” maintaining diplomatic contacts while progressing with investigations, in a bilateral context characterized by accumulated tensions and new economic pressures.
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