Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel stated on Friday that the regime is expecting a possible visit from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States to collaborate on the investigation of the incident that occurred on February 25 involving a speedboat from that country, in which five people died.
During a televised appearance, Díaz-Canel described the incident as "an armed infiltration with terrorist purposes, financed and organized from U.S. territory."
He explained that Havana has already informed Washington about what occurred and that the U.S. side has expressed, through diplomatic and consular channels, its interest in participating in uncovering the facts.
"Timely information about the events was provided to the U.S. counterpart, which has expressed through diplomatic and consular channels its interest in participating collaboratively in the clarification of the facts. We are awaiting a possible visit from the FBI to continue advancing in this investigation," he said.
He pointed out that the ten crew members of the vessel entered Cuban territorial waters irregularly and were "heavily armed," thereby contradicting an initial version from U.S. sources that suggested a possible rescue of family members on the island.
"It was an attempt at aggression," assured Díaz-Canel. "The authorities in the United States have been informed and have expressed their willingness to participate in clarifying the facts."
Criminal proceedings against the survivors
The Cuban leader also announced that a criminal process has been initiated against the survivors of the incident, all of whom were injured during the confrontation with the Cuban border guard troops.
"The injured have received all necessary medical attention, and the detainees were able to speak with their families. The relatives of the deceased also participated in the identification of the bodies," he stated.
According to Díaz-Canel, during the investigations, the detainees admitted their involvement and stated that they fired first at a vessel of the Cuban coast guard service.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the speedboat was intercepted with ten people on board—Cubans residing in the United States—and a significant amount of weaponry. Authorities state that gunfire was opened from the vessel towards the Cuban patrol, which returned fire.
Four crew members died at the site of the incident, and six others were injured, including a Cuban officer. Later, authorities reported the death of one of the injured.
The Attorney General's Office of the Republic confirmed that the detainees are facing charges for alleged acts of terrorism, with penalties ranging from 10 years in prison to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Recognizes contacts with Washington
Meanwhile, Díaz-Canel confirmed that Cuban officials have held discussions with representatives of the United States government to address bilateral tensions and explore potential areas of cooperation.
The leader stated that these exchanges have been conducted at the highest level and explicitly mentioned General Raúl Castro as one of the leaders overseeing the process.
The public acknowledgment of these contacts represents a significant shift from the official stance maintained in previous weeks. On January 12, Díaz-Canel himself had denied the existence of formal negotiations, limiting them to technical contacts regarding migration issues.
In February, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, also stated that dialogue had not begun, while the regime once again denied negotiations on March 10.
According to the Cuban leader, the talks aim to identify the most pressing bilateral issues, find possible solutions, gauge the willingness of both parties, and explore areas of cooperation related to regional security.
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