US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Carlos Gimenez have called for an investigation following an incident where Cuban government forces shot and killed four people on board a Florida-tagged boat near the Villa Clara coast.
Commenting on the incident Rubio confirmed that the boat in question did not have US government personnel on board and that whatever transpired was not part of any US operation. However, it is currently unclear whether US citizens were on board.
Probes ordered
“We are going to have our own information on this, we are going to figure out exactly what happened, and there are a number of things that could have happened here,” Rubio said.
“Suffice to say it is highly unusual to see shootouts in open sea like that,” the US Secretary of State added.
The US embassy in Havana has been tapped by Rubio to independently verify what happened.
Meanwhile, Senator Gimenez, whose district includes the southern tip of Florida, called on US authorities to “determine whether any of the victims were US citizens or legal residents and establish exactly what occurred.”
“The regime in Cuba must be relegated to the dustbin of history for its countless crimes against humanity,” the Senator added.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, meanwhile, said he was ordering prosecutors to open an investigation in conjunction with other state and federal law enforcement partners.
Rubio and the Senator’s comments came after the Cuban interior ministry also announced an investigation.
What we know about the incident
As per reutersthe ministry said that the Florida-registered boat entered Cuban waters on Wednesday and opened fire on a patrol, prompting security forces to return fire.
In the exchange, the Cuban patrol commander was also wounded, while others who were injured were evacuated and receiving treatment.
“When a surface unit of the Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior, carrying five service members, approached the vessel for identification, the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on the Cuban personnel, resulting in the injury of the commander of the Cuban vessel,” the Cuban Embassy in the US said, adding that four were killed and six injured.
“In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban State in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region. Investigations by the competent authorities continue in order to fully clarify the events,” the embassy added.
US-Cuba ties strained
The incident took place at a time when the US has blocked virtually all oil shipments to Cuba, increasing pressure on the Communist-run government in the island nation.
US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on January 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power, and Rubio reiterated his rhetoric against the Cuban government on Wednesday, calling the status quo unsustainable and saying Cuba needed to change “dramatically.”
(With inputs from agencies)
