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Terrorism
Against Cuba
To know the long
history of the 43-year Cuban Revolution, in which our country
has been the victim of innumerable acts of terrorism,
aggression, invasions and provocations, bringing death to more
than 3000 innocent human beings, helps to understand why the
actions of Antonio, Fernando, Gerardo, Ramón and René are
considered a legitimate defense. Away from family and loved
ones, they were prepared to postpone the joy of daily
existence alongside their people in order to fulfill their
duty.
The list is
practically endless, but here are the most highlighted
facts...
October 14,
1990:
Two armed terrorists
sneaked into Santa Cruz del Norte as part of an action
concocted in Miami. They had orders to carry out violent
actions. Their weapons and false documents supplied in Miami
were confiscated. They also carried literature urging people
to join what they called "The Cuban Liberation Army"
headed by Higinio Díaz Anne who had given them money and
propaganda before they set out.
September
17,1991:
Two
counterrevolutionaries from Miami infiltrated into Cuba. Their
mission was to sabotage tourist shops to spread terror among
foreign tourists. Their weapons and a radio transmitter were
confiscated.
December 29,
1991:
Three
terrorists from the so-called Commandos L group in Miami
entered Cuba illegally. Their weapons and other war materiel
were confiscated. These three had received training with 50 or
60 other men in a camp on 168 Street in Miami.
July 4, 1992:
A group of
terrorists set out from the United States to attack economic
targets along the Havana coastline. Once detected by Cuban
patrol boats, they moved to waters off Varadero, where U.S.
coastguards rescued them after their boat had a mechanical
failure. The FBI released them after the confiscation of
weapons, maps and videos made during their journey.
July 1992:
An operation
to infiltrate an U.S. based terrorist into Cuba with the
mission to sabotage an economic target in Villa Clara province
failed. He was carrying the weapons and explosives needed for
the job and had the assistance of Brothers to the Rescue who
kept him informed about the position of the U.S. coastguard to
make it easier for him to reach Cuban territory.
September 9,
1992:
The FBI
arrests a Cuban born terrorist for illegal possession of
firearms and violation of the Law of Neutrality. He is
released without charges.
October 7,
1992:
An armed
attack against the Varadero Meliá Hotel is perpetrated from a
vessel manned by four Miami terrorists who were later arrested
and questioned by the FBI, then released.
October 19,
1992:
Three Miami
based counterrevolutionaries entered Cuba illegally with
plenty of weapons and military equipment that were
confiscated. At the same time, three other terrorists were
arrested in the Bahamas with weapons and explosives apparently
destined for Cuba, which were also seized from them. These
terrorists had left Miami on October 17.
January 1993:
Five
terrorists on board a vessel armed with heavy machine guns and
other weapons were arrested by the U.S. coastguard as they
were heading toward the Cuban coastline. They were soon
released.
April 2, 1993:
The tanker
ship "Mikonos" sailing under the Cypriot flag was
fired on 7 miles north of Matanzas from a vessel crewed by
Cuban born, U.S. based terrorists. May 18, 1993. A violation
of Cuban airspace by a plane registered to "Brothers to
the Rescue" with the number N8447
May 18, 1993:
uban airspace
is violated by airplane N8447M belonging to the terrorist
organization Brothers to the Rescue
May 21, 1993:
Nine
terrorists arrested by the U.S. Customs Service on board a
vessel as they prepared to sail for Cuba to launch attacks on
that country. Their weapons and explosives were seized. On
August 21, Judge Lawrence King dismissed charges against them.
May 1993. "Brothers to the Rescue" planned to blow
up a high-tension pylon near San Nicolás de Bari in Havana
province. October 1993. "Brothers to the Rescue"
publicly encouraged attempts on the life of President Fidel
Castro and violence against Cuba. It also confirmed its
readiness to accept "the risks that come with doing
this". Andrés Nazario Sargén, head of terrorist group
Alpha 66, makes an announcement in the United States that his
organization has recently carried out five operations against
Cuba.
October 18,
1993:
A terrorist
living in the United States is arrested on his arrival in
Cuba. His orders were to carry out acts of violence on Cuban
soil.
1993:
A Cuban
citizen visiting the United States is recruited by a terrorist
organization to carry out sabotage in Cuba against the tourism
and agricultural sectors. He was supplied with some of the
materials needed for such actions and was offered the sum of
20,000 US dollars.
November 1994:
Terrorist Luis
Posada Carriles and five of his accomplices smuggled weapons
into Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, during the IV
Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government in
order to make an attempt on the life of President Fidel
Castro. However, the security belt keeps him at a distance
thus thwarting his aim. Posada Carriles later told the New
York Times: "I was standing behind some journalists and I
saw Castro's friend, García Márquez, but I could only see
Castro from a long way away."
March 11,
1994:
A terrorist group
from Miami fires on the "Guitart Cayo Coco Hotel."
September 4,
1994:
Two U.S. based
terrorists infiltrated into the area around Caibarién, Villa
Clara, with the aim of carrying out sabotage in that province.
A number of weapons and large amounts of military equipment
were seized.
October 6,
1994:
Another armed group
fired automatic weapons at the "Guitart Cayo Coco
Hotel" from a boat that set out from Florida.
October 15,
1994:
A group of armed
terrorists coming from the United States landed on the
causeway to "Cayo Santa María" near Caibarién,
Villa Clara, and murdered comrade Arcelio Rodríguez García.
November 11,
1994:
Four terrorists were
arrested in Varadero, Matanzas. After sneaking into Cuba, they
were relieved of weapons and munitions.
March 2, 1995:
Two terrorists from
the United States sneaked into the coast near Puerto Padre,
Las Tunas. They were carrying 51 pounds of C-4 explosives and
other munitions.
May 20, 1995.
The
"Guitart Cayo Coco Hotel" was once again attacked by
terrorists manning a fast launch coming from the United
States.
July 12, 1995:
Three terrorists were
arrested in the United States as they were preparing to sneak
into Cuba using an act of provocation just off the Cuban coast
as cover. Despite confiscation of their weapons and
explosives, U.S. authorities released them.
December 16,
1995:
Two terrorists were
arrested in the United States as they readied to sneak into
Cuba through Pinar del Río to carry out subversive actions.
Despite confiscation of their weapons and explosive, U.S.
authorities released them.
January 12,
1996.
A Cuban
immigrant living in the United States was arrested while
trying to transport explosives from the City of Havana to
Pinar del Río.
January 13,
1996:
Several
"Brothers to the Rescue" planes violated Cuban
airspace over the City of Havana. Later, terrorist Basulto
said: "They say I was flying over Cuban airspace,
something everybody knows and which I have never denied."
January 23,
1996:
U.S. authorities
intercepted a vessel in Marathon Key with five armed
terrorists on board. It was headed for Cuba. The FBI released
the five that same day.
February 11,
1996.
After firing on
our coastline, a vessel coming from the United States carrying
three terrorists was captured by the Cuban a cost guard
patrol.
February 24,
1996:
"Brothers to the
Rescue" launched a new foray. Three light planes violated
Cuban airspace over the heart of Havana and two of them were
shot down. In the 20 months prior to this incident there had
been at least 25 other violations of Cuban airspace.
August 21,
1996:
An U.S. citizen is
arrested in Cuba. He had clandestinely brought military
equipment into the country and was planning to carry out
terrorist actions on Cuban soil.
September 16,
1996:
A person is arrested
who was sneaking into Cuba through Punta Alegre, Ciego de
Ávila, on a boat carrying weapons and a great deal of
military equipment.
21 October
1996:
An SS-RR light plane,
registration number N3093M owned by the U.S. State Department
sprays a substance containing the pest "Thrip Palmi
Karny" as it flies over the "Girón"
international corridor about 25-30 kilometers south of
Varadero. November 1996. Miami television channel 23 carried a
live interview with Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch
where they stressed their intentions of continuing with their
terrorist activities against Cuba.
April 12,
1997:
An explosive device
was detonated in the "Meliá Cohíba" Hotel in the
City of Havana. April 30, 1997. Discovery of an explosive
device in the "Meliá Cohíba" Hotel.
July 12, 1997:
Bombs blasted in the
"Capri" and "National" hotels.
August 4,
1997:
Another bomb exploded
in the "Meliá Cohíba" Hotel.
August 11,
1997:
The Miami press
published a statement from the Cuban American National
Foundation (CANF) giving unconditional support to the
terrorist bomb attacks against civilian and tourist targets in
Cuba. The chairman of this organization claimed: "We do
not think of these as terrorist actions" and went on to
say that any action against Cuba was legitimate.
August 22,
1997:
Bomb exploded in the
"Sol Palmeras" Hotel in Varadero. September 4, 1997.
Several bombs exploded in the "Tritón",
"Chateau Miramar" and "Copacabana" hotels.
The explosion in the latter killed young Italian tourist Fabio
Di Celmo. On that same day another bomb exploded at "La
Bodeguita del Medio " restaurant.
October 27,
1997:
The U.S. Coastguard
arrested a vessel West of Puerto Rico. They confiscated 2 high
velocity rifles .50 caliber with their tripods, night vision
gear, and military uniforms and communications equipment.
These sophisticated weapons, strictly military in nature, are
designed for long-range attacks on vehicles and aircraft. One
of those on the vessel said that his aim was to assassinate
President Fidel Castro when he arrived on Margarita Island,
Venezuela, on November 7, 1997 to attend the Ibero-American
Summit. U.S. authorities found that the vessel was registered
by a Florida company whose chief executive officer, manager,
secretary and treasurer is José Antonio Llama, a director of
the CANF and a Bay of Pigs mercenary. One of the guns was
registered in the name of José Francisco "Pepe"
Hernández, CANF co-chairman. A member of Brigade 2506 had
bought the other in 1994. The four crew members on the vessel
were identified as: a well-known CIA agent; the captain of a
CIA boat used by Florida infiltration teams sneaking into
Cuba; the chairman of a New Jersey counterrevolutionary group
and a member of Alpha 66. Despite their confessions and clear
proof of the illegal possession of arms, false testimony and
arms smuggling, these terrorists were acquitted by a Federal
court of law in December 1999 after a rigged trial.
May 1998:
Two terrorists
sneaked into Santa Lucía, Pinar del Río. They had set out
from the United States with a great deal of weapons and war
materiel.
August 1998:
Even before President
Fidel Castro's announcement that he would attend the Summit of
Heads of State and Government of CARIFORUM in the Dominican
Republic, several Cuban born terrorists had planned an attempt
on his life to be carried out some time between August 20 and
25. To that end, terrorist Posada Carriles arranged a meeting
in the Guatemala City Holiday Inn Hotel one month before the
summit to plan how to get weapons and explosives into Santo
Domingo.
November 17,
2000:
A group of terrorists
headed by Posada Carriles was arrested in Panama. They had
entered Panama with false documents to make an attempt on the
life of President Fidel Castro during the X Ibero American
Summit of Heads of State and Government. Their weapons,
explosives and a sketch of Castro's route and public meetings
were seized from them. The Cuban American National Foundation
is paying for the team of lawyers defending the terrorists. |
