The Cuban government has announced a fifth fatality resulting from a fatal shootout last month involving a Florida-flagged speedboat off the island's north coast. In a statement released late Thursday, the Ministry of Interior confirmed that Roberto Alvarez Avila died on March 4 due to injuries sustained in the incident, bringing the total death toll to five.
According to Cuban authorities, the confrontation occurred on February 26 when a speedboat carrying 10 individuals approached the island. Cuban soldiers allegedly engaged with the vessel, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to six others. The government claims the passengers were armed Cubans residing in the United States who were attempting to infiltrate the island to "unleash terrorism," though these assertions have not been independently verified.
The Cuban Interior Ministry stated that "the statements made by the detainees themselves, together with a series of investigative procedures, reinforce the evidence against them." It added that "new elements are being obtained that establish the involvement of other individuals based in the US." Earlier this week, Cuba filed terrorism charges against six suspects from the speedboat and displayed items purportedly found on board, including dozens of high-powered weapons, over 12,800 rounds of ammunition, and 11 pistols.
Cuban officials have provided limited details about the shooting, noting the boat was approximately 1.6 kilometers northeast of Cayo Falcones. They also released the vessel's registration number, but The Associated Press was unable to readily verify this information due to non-public boat registrations in Florida. The incident threatens to heighten tensions between the US regime under President Donald Trump and Cuban authorities, potentially exacerbating existing geopolitical frictions in the region.
Cuba's economy, which until recently relied heavily on Venezuelan oil support, faces increased uncertainty following a US military operation that abducted and deposed former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This development adds to the economic and political challenges confronting the island nation, highlighting the broader costs of Washington's foreign policy interventions in Latin America.
Source: www.aljazeera.com