"13 de Marzo" Tugboat Massacre 30 Years Later: Actions Taken in Memory of the 37 Victims

 There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. - Elie Wiesel

 On July 13, 1994, 37 Cubans were massacred by Cuban government agents, 20 of the victims were between the ages of 5 months and 27 years old, during an operation staged by State Security. Only the sudden arrival of a Greek trawler brought the massacre to an end, leaving survivors to recount what had occurred. The slain Cubans wanted to live in freedom and had a relative who was a tugboat captain who could take them there on the "13 de Marzo" tugboat. What these Cubans were unaware of was that State Security had learned of the event and had planned their departure and execution six miles off the coast of Havana.

For the past two decades at FIU a moment of silence held on July 13

 

The Free Cuba Foundation (FCF) was founded in August 1993, and less than a year later, this tragedy shocked and outraged its members, prompting the group to continue denouncing the crime and demanding justice to this day.

On the first anniversary of the tugboat sinking, FCF members joined a flotilla organized by Ramon Saul Sanchez and what became known as the Democracy Movement, which entered Cuban seas to lay flowers at the massacre site. The hull of the lead boat "Democracia" on which Ramon Saul Sanchez was on board was rammed and crushed by Cuban gunboats. (Incidentally, the Democracy Movement organized a flotilla to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the "13 de Marzo" tugboat tragedy.) At the same time, a silent vigil was conducted at Florida International University to remember the deaths.

Silent vigil at FIU on July 13, 1998

On July 14, 1998 Cathy Reyes of the FIU student newspaper, The Beacon, published a story on the vigil titled: "Free Cuba Foundation, community remember "13 de Marzo" victims" reporting on the 25 students and members of the university who gathered the day before in a silent vigil and quoted some of the FCF members who explained the reason for the event:

"Four years ago on early July 13, 1994, the tugboat "13 de Marzo" was attacked by agents of the Cuban government," said John Suarez, ... "They repeatedly rammed the tug, used high pressure water hoses on the victims and sank the ship seven miles off the coast of Havana, Cuba."

"We must remember those who died at the hands of Castro's inhumane regime," said Jose Raul Carro ...  

"We don't think FIU students know much about this event that occurred four years ago. It is an event that the whole world knows, but it is not as known in FIU," said Xavier Utset, FCF president

On December 10, 1998 we signed and sent a signed statement calling on the wider community to "Join Our Silent Call for Justice" that was published in The Miami Herald on December 28, 1998 which placed the July 13, 1994 "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre into Cuba's historical context. In 1999 the Free Cuba Foundation made public another declaration, "Call for Justice on the 5th Anniversary of the "13 de Marzo" Massacre and announced the following:

"We seek to draw attention to these outrages, and we plan to do so by raising a civil and respectful call for justice. We believe that the crimes committed above are a result of the utilization of violence, arrogance, and hatred as government policy. The policy is evil. The best way to oppose evil is not with more evil. Gandhi observed that, "civility and humility are expressions of the spirit of non-violence while incivility and insolence indicates the spirit of violence." Therefore, on July 13, 1999, we will be fasting at Florida International University for 24 hours. We will be holding silent vigils in remembrance of those who have died violently in the Florida Straits..."

The 24 hour fast and a five minute silent vigil for justice were both carried out on July 13, 1999. Over the years in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 the silent vigils continued adding a minute to each year. On the tenth anniversary in 2004 the press descended on Florida International University and reported on the 10 minute vigil that year and The Miami Herald quoted FCF coordinator Neri Martinez:

'This was a massacre,'' said Neri Martínez, 22, coordinator of the Free Cuba Foundation, a student group that organized a vigil at Florida International University. The group marked 10 minutes of silence, one for each year that has passed. ''It's a silent call for justice,'' Martínez said. ``Not only are we remembering the victims, but we are also condemning the crimes committed by the Cuban government on its own people.''

 The Sun Sentinel offered the following report of what took place at FIU on July 13, 2004:

During a noon ceremony at Florida International University, about 20 people climbed up on the edge of an empty concrete fountain, joined hands and stood in silence for about 10 minutes."This was a very big crime against humanity," said Neri Martinez, coordinator for the Free Cuba Foundation, a student group. "People need to remember what's going on inside of Cuba."

On July 12, 2006 at Florida International University the Free Cuba Foundation organized a panel discussion on what had happened on July 13, 1994 and its links to the February 24, 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shoot down. Guest speakers were Ramon Saul Sanchez of the Democracy Movement and Jose Basulto of Brothers to the Rescue. The Associated Press made mention of the gathering in one of its stories on Cuba policy. The following day on July 13 at 12 noon a 12 minute silent vigil was held at the FIU main fountain and captured on video.

Past FCF presidents Susana Navajas (center) and Pedro Ross (far right) listen to Jorge Garcia

Silent vigils continued to be announced and held at Florida International University in 2007 and 2008 adding a minute for each year that had passed without justice. On 2009 for the 15th anniversary of the "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre the Free Cuba Foundation held a panel discussion with Jorge Garcia, a family member, who had 14 relatives extrajudicially executed in the massacre. Earlier that day FCF held a 15 minute silent vigil. The Spanish newswire EFE reported the following:

"We want to say to the world that this was a crime against persons who only wanted to leave Cuba to have liberty. We consider that this crime should not remain in impunity," said Julio Menache co-president of FCF at FIU. FCF will commemorate the event with a vigil and projection of a ducumentary about persons who lost family members in the sinking of the tugboat. At the event will be present Jorge García who lost 14 family members, among them his son Joel of 20 years of age and his grandson Juan Marion, of 10 years.

In 2010 a dissident who had been jailed for protesting for justice in the case of the July 13, 1994 tugboat massacre joined the silent vigil at FIU organized by FCF and afterwards spoke with us about his ordeal. The silent vigils without much press attention continued to be held in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

FCF silent vigil at Florida International University in 2013

In 2014 we marked 20 years and the silent vigil was held for 20 minutes. Members reflected on what else could be done to obtain justice using nonviolent means for the 37 victims of the tugboat massacre. We called on people of good will world around the world to gather, hold and document their own 20 minute silent vigils for justice for the victims of the July 13, 1994 "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre.

20 minute Silent vigil at Florida International University on July 13, 2014

 

On Sunday, July 13, 2014 at 3:00pm members of the Free Cuba Foundation gathered at the main fountain at Florida International University [Facing the Library] 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL for a twenty minute silent vigil.  Other events were held in Miami, New York City, Washington DC, and in flotilla 12 miles off the coast of Cuba.

 

We realized that continuing to add a minute was not a feasible exercise after a 25 minute moment of silence in 2019, and beginning in 2020 the vigil was changed to 13 minutes.

On July 11, 2021 when protests broke out throughout Cuba we were outside the Cuban Embassy in Washington DC reading the names of the 37 victims of the "13 de marzo" tugboat massacre.

Let us return to the beginning, but with a reflection from inside Cuba.

Thirty years ago on July 13, 1994 at three in the morning three extended Cuban families set out for a better life aboard the "13 de Marzo" tugboat from Havana, Cuba and were massacred in a heinous crime committed by agents of the Cuban government. The most extensive international report on the events that took place was prepared by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Fifteen years later human rights champion Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas reflected on what had happened: 

Behind the Christ of Havana, about seven miles from the coast, "volunteers" of the Communist regime committed one of the most heinous crimes in the history of our city and of Cuba. In the morning, a group of seventy people in all, fled on a tugboat, led by the ship's own crew; none was kidnapped, or there against their will. They came out of the mouth of the Bay of Havana. They were pursued by other similar ships. When the runaway ship and its occupants stopped to surrender, the ships that had been chasing them started ramming to sink it. Meanwhile, on the deck, women with children in their arms begging for mercy, but the answer of their captors was to project high pressure water cannons against them. Some saw their children fall overboard under the murderous jets of water amid shrieks of horror. They behaved brutally until their perverse mission was fulfilled: Sink the fleeing ship and annihilate many of its occupants.

Twelve years ago on July 22, 2012 on a stretch of road in Eastern Cuba, State Security agents rammed the car Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante were traveling in. Both bodies appeared later that same day. The man who repeatedly denounced the "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre would himself become a martyr of the same dictatorship along with Harold, a youth leader of the Christian Liberation Movement.

Three years ago on July 11, 2021 nonviolent protests broke out across Cuba, and the response of the Cuban dictatorship was murderously brutal with their agents firing on and killing unarmed protesters, and beating others to death. On the second day of these protests Diubis Laurencio Tejeda, age 36, was shot in the back by regime agents.

Christian Díaz, age 24, disappeared after joining the protests on July 12, 2021. Police first told his father that Christian was jailed in Matanzas, but later said he’d drowned at sea and was buried in a mass grave. His family is convinced he was beaten to death.

On July 13 at 6:00pm at Florida International University we will hold a 13 minute silent vigil in memory of July's Cuban martyrs.

Main Fountain @ Florida International University [Facing the Library and the Student Union]
            11200 SW 8th Street Miami, FL 33172

Additional information:

For additional information on the "13 de Marzo" tugboat case visit the
following websites:

Amnesty International
CUBA: The Sinking of the "13 de Marzo" Tugboat on 13 July 1994 /
Amnesty International Report

https://www.amnesty.org/es/documents/amr25/013/1997/en/

Inter American Commission on Human Rights (Organization of American States)
REPORT Nº 47/96 CASE 11.436 VICTIMS OF THE TUGBOAT "13 DE MARZO" vs. CUBA
October 16, 1996 Inter American Commission on Human Rights
https://cidh.oas.org/annualrep/96span/Cuba11436.htm

 

For additional information on the Free Cuba Foundation visit the Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Cuba-Foundation/153101299564

Orwellian Press Coverage on Carnival Cruise to Cuba

Memory hole - A system of pipes, similar to pneumatic tubes, which were used to destroy documents. A document stuffed in the memory hole would be conveniently whisked away to the furnaces below - quickly & easily wiped from history. - The Newspeak Dictionary

When one asks why the news media is dying perhaps because all too often it is no longer news but propaganda that assists the powerful in advancing their agenda rather than informing U.S. citizens.

Multiple news outlets were reporting that "the first cruise from America to Cuba in more 50 years"  was underway but the fact of the matter is that on May 16, 1977 a cruise from America to Cuba that departed from New Orleans with Raul Castro's sister Juanita leading hundreds of protesters in a march through the port who blasted the trip at the time arguing that economic boycott by the United States should be maintained.Why is there no mention of this historic first in the press coverage underway?

Or the fact that Cuban-Americans on that voyage, who had left Cuba prior to the Castro regime, were discriminated against and not allowed to disembark with the other passengers when they arrived in Cuba. So far, Patrick Oppman of CNN has made the correction in a tweet.

Correction! There was at least one US-Cuba cruise in 1977 and then, as now, Cubans faced restrictions. pic.twitter.com/eq4IR0QoaZ

— Patrick Oppmann CNN (@CNN_Oppmann) May 1, 2016

 CBS national got the story right today with details that explain why perhaps this chapter many who advocate normalized relations would rather forget:

After Carter dropped limits on Cuba travel, 400 passengers, including musical legend Dizzy Gillespie sailed from New Orleans to Cuba on a 1977 "Jazz Cruise" aboard the MS Daphne. [...] The following year, however, Daphne made a several cruises from New Orleans to Cuba and other destinations in the Caribbean. Cuba cut back on all cruise tourism in 2005, ending a joint venture with Italian terminal management company Silares Terminales del Caribe and Fidel Castro blasted cruise ships during a 4 ½ hour speech on state television. "Floating hotels come, floating restaurants, floating theaters, floating diversions visit countries to leave their trash, their empty cans and papers for a few miserable cents," Castro said.

Cruises to Cuba were shut down after the Cuban dictator in 2005 made a long speech and decided he didn't like them (probably because Chavez made it financially unnecessary at the time). Times are tough now and the cruises are viewed positively by the dictatorship for now.

The big difference today is that Cuban exiles united on the issue of discrimination against Cubans who had wanted to book a trip on the Carnival cruise and using nonviolent resistance managed to change both Carnival's and the Castro regime's position. Unlike 1977 passengers who are of Cuban origin will be able to disembark along with the rest. The circumstances that led to this outcome need to be further studied.

However the  CBS local affiliate continues to report the erroneous story that this is something new and historic. Why? Is it just sloppy reporting or something more sinister? Either way it is not good for journalism or U.S. democracy.

Maleconazo at 20: The Havana Uprising of August 5, 1994

"Apart from the distances: in China they tried to erase what happened in Tiananmen Square and in #Cuba the Maleconazo."  - Yoani Sánchez, over twitter on June 3, 2014

 "I remember Tiananmen I remember the Maleconazo and presently I remember Venezuela and you, what do you remember?" - Yoani Sánchez, over twitter on June 3, 2014

Maleconazo: Mass protests in Havana, Cuba on August 5, 1994

Yoani Sánchez makes an important observation above the regimes in China and Cuba want to erase the inconvenient facts and historical events that are in conflict with the official narrative. Tiananmen Square and the Maleconazo are two such episodes that have important anniversaries in 2014. The massacre in Tiananmen was 25 years ago on June 4, 1989 and the Maleconazo marks 20 years on August 5, 1994. 

Notes from the Cuban Exile Quarter describes below what happened on August 5, 1994 and its historic importance:

500 Cubans gathered on August 5, 1994 on the pier "de la Luz", to take the launch that goes to Regla and Casablanca because there was a rumor that it would again be diverted to Florida. It was a rumor of a path to freedom that these 500 people had seized upon. Military trucks arrived and announced the suspension of the launches departure and dispersed the crowd.  People walking along the Malecón (The Havana Sea Wall)  joined the dispersed crowd and gathered near the  Castillo de la Real Fuerza (Castle of the Royal Force). A thousand Cubans began to march shouting Freedom through the streets of Havana.  That 500 Cubans would gather to flee the island is not a new phenomenon but that another 500 would join them  to march and call for freedom was something new and an unexpected development for the security services.  After marching for a kilometer, a hundred Special Brigade members and plain clothes police confronted the protesters. The demonstrators dispersed into the neighborhood of Central Havana, burning rubbish bins, smashing the windows of the dollar stores and clashing with the police with stones and sticks. Regime agents responded with physical beat downs, several gun shots and their own mobilization of repressive actors.

One thousands Cubans marching through Havana chanting "Freedom!" and "Down with Castro"  The sounds and images of that day have been captured on video and its impact is felt two decades later in music and art.




 It is also important that the images of plain clothes state security aiming their guns at an unarmed protest in a manner that indicates they were shooting must also be remembered and widely distributed.

Maleconazo: Regime agents aiming their guns at protesters

It is also important to recall on the evening of August 5, 1994, the dictator, Fidel Castro took to the airwaves to justify and defend the "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre that had taken place on July 13, 1994.

Mass of Thanksgiving for the lives of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante

"Liberation is a task for the Cuban people – now with greater hope because we are definitely on the verge, on the threshold of truth and liberation. That is our hope." - Oswaldo Paya, March 29, 2012

If you are in any one of these three cities and a person of good will then please join in honoring these two men. Otherwise please join in online acts of remembrance or organize a mass in your own community and let us know about it.
  

 Miami
On Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 6:45pm the lives of Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas and Harold Cepero Escalante, will be celebrated first in the Varela Salon with the premiere of the report "Two years without Oswaldo Payá Sardiñas" and the audiovisual "Harold Cepero" followed at 8pm with a Mass of Thanksgiving at Our Lady of Charity (Ermita de la Caridad).

Time: 6:45 pm.
Date: July 22, 2014
Location: Ermita de la Caridad 3609 South Miami Ave Miami, FL. 33133

Source: Christian Liberation Movement

Havana
Mass of Remembrance for Harold and Oswaldo in the Church of Los Pasionistas in Havana on July 22, 2014 at 4:00 pm

Date: July 22, 2014
Time: 4:00pm 
Location: Iglesia de los Padres Pasionistas, La Víbora, La Habana, Cuba

Source: Christian Liberation Movement

Madrid
Mass on 2nd Anniversary of the deaths of Oswaldo Payá and Harold Cepero 

Date: July 22, 2014
Time: 19:00 (Madrid time)
Location: Parish of Navarre San Fermín
                Paseo de Eduardo Dato, 10, Madrid

Source: Christian Liberation Movement

Ted Koppel's courageous reporting from Havana, Cuba in 1998

On the eve of the Pope's arrival in Cuba Nightline reported on the "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre. Below is the full transcript

Ted Kopppel in Cuba in 1998 reported on the  July 13, 1994 "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre.

 Nightline Transcript: July 13, 1994 Massacre - January 20, 1998


TED KOPPEL Three and a half years ago, in the summer of 1994, something
terrible happened out there, seven or eight miles out at sea, off the
northern coast of Cuba. it was an incident that went all but unnoticed in the
US media. The Cuban-American community protested but they protest a lot and
as I say, we in the mainstream media all but ignored it. The Vatican,
however, did not.

A letter of condolence speaking in the name of the Pope was sent by the
Vatican's secretary of state to Jaime Ortega, the Archbishop of Havana, who
passed it on to the survivors of the incident and to their families. And that
created a ripple which caused a ground swell, the full impact of which is
still building.

Liz Balmaseda is a columnist for "The Miami Herald" who specializes in Cuban
affairs.

LIZ BALMASEDA What the letter from the Pope did was it really gave strength to
the church in Cuba so the church, so that the archbishop could turn around and
denounce this act.

TED KOPPEL (VO) What happened occurred at night at sea in the middle of July
in 1994. The time is important because it wasn't all that long ago, not, in
other words, in the bad old days of mass arrests and widespread executions.
Seventy two Cubans, men, women and children, slipped out of this harbor
aboard a tug boat. They were bound for Florida. Their boat was followed out
to sea by three Cuban fire boats. What happened next we learned from some of
the survivors, two of whom ultimately made it to Miami, while the other two
risked arrest by talking to us here in Havana.

SERGlO PERODIN (Miami) (through translators) This boat came directly for us,
cut us off and attacked us without a word, without saying anything to us or
telling us to stop.

MARIA VICTORIA GARCIA (through translators) They told us stay here and show
them the children so that they don't shoot at us. One boat comes up behind us
and they started ramming the boat.

JANETTE HERNANDEZ (Miami) (through translators) As we were showing them the
children, they started spraying strong bursts of water at really high
pressure, right at us.

SERGlO PERODIN (through translators) With the pressure hoses, they blew apart
our boat's windows, its doors, they wrecked our radio and we knew then that
their intention was to sink our boat.

MARIA VICTORIA GARCIA (through translators) Our tugboat started taking on
water. We shouted to the crewmen on the boat, "Look at the children! You're
going to kill them!" And he said, "Let them die. Let them die."

JANETTE HERNANDEZ (through translators) I remember the banging and the noises
from inside as the boat was sinking. In the water, everything is louder. That
is what I heard. And I still hear it at night in nightmares.

MARIA VICTORIA GARCIA (through translators) I don't know how to swim but I
said I can't sink with this boat. I was holding onto a pipe and I had my son
right in front of me and I held him and then I went down. I sank. When I made
it to the surface again I found a body floating that I know was Rosa.

TED KOPPEL (VO) Maria and her son held onto the body of her friend. lt was the
only thing keeping them from sinking again.

REYNALDO CARRAZANA (Havana) (through translators) At the moment the boat
sank, the survival instinct is the strongest. At that moment, I just thought
of saving myself.

MARIA VICTORIA GARCIA (through translators) There was a boat just in front of
me and it's showing its light on me and I said, "pull us up." And it was the
same crewmen. And I said pull us up, pull up the boat because he's going to
drown. And he said, "If you want to be rescued, wait for the Coast Guard
boat." And he turned the boat around.

SERGIO PERODIN (through translators) They started going around us in a circle
fast creating a whirlpool that sucked the people down to get rid of everybody
because they didn't want to leave any witnesses to this tragedy.

REYNALDO CARRAZANA (through translators) I didn't know how to swim. I just
floated. It seems that the boat's freezer was nearby and I hung onto it. And a
number of people were there hanging onto it, too.

MARIA VICTORIA GARCIA (through translators)I tried to reach that group. When
I get there I hold onto the board because they were holding onto a piece of
wood. I tried to hold onto the piece of wood. It was the ice pot that had
come off the tugboat. But there were many people hanging onto it and when I
held onto it, it seems that my weight made the boat overturn and a lot of
people fell on me. And it was then that I let go of my son and I tried to
grab him again but I couldn't. It was so fast, he just went and I couldn't
grab him.

SERGlO PERODIN (through translators) We saw in the distance a boat with a
Greek flag that appeared to be what stopped them. lt looked like the boat was
watching what they were doing, the murder they were committing. So they
stopped and decided to pick us up.

JORGE GARCIA (Havana) (through translators) When I asked my daughter, "What
about Juan Mario?" "Papa, he's lost." "And Joel?" "Papa, he's lost." And
Ernesto? "Papa, he's lost." And then we knew that other members of the family
were all lost, 14 in all.

JANETTE HERNANDEZ (through translators) Fidel is the only one who could have
given the order to sink the boat. And soon after the boat sank, the captain of
one of the fire boats was decorated as a hero.

TED KOPPEL (VO) Jorge Garcia lost his son. In this picture, you can see a
chain around his son's neck. Against all odds, it was brought back to the
father.

JORGE GARCIA (through translators) This chain is a symbol for me. it
preserves the sweat of my son. This chain was around his neck. lt was brought
to me through the generosity of a survivor. I will keep it forever. My wife
gave this chain to my son. lt has the image of the Pope. lt has double
significance for me, the memory of my son and the image of the Pope, who very
soon will come to Cuba. (Commercial Break)

ANNOUNCER ABC News Nightline continues. Once again reporting from Havana,
Cuba, Ted Koppel.

TED KOPPEL The Castro government had dismissed the tugboat sinking as an
accident and insisted that no one in the government could have played any
role. But then the church cleared its throat.

LIZ BALMASEDA I think the letter that came from the Pope really showed that
there was an important international ring to this incident, that somebody at
least, somebody as important as the Pope knew what had happened.

TED KOPPEL (VO) The letter from the Vatican's secretary of state read, in
part, "It profoundly saddened the Holy Father to hear of the deplorable death
of the families on a boat," and then, "I ask that you extend to the families
the Holy Father's deepest sympathy and to express his concern and feelings of
closeness."

JANETTE HERNANDEZ (through translators) He sent us his condolences for what
had happened and when I received it, I said to myself, well, at least people
knew about what happened.

TED KOPPEL (VO) Janette Hernandez and her husband, who also survived the
sinking of the tugboat, went to sea again, this time on a raft, and made it
to Miami, where they have created a new life. Maria Garcia, who lost 14
members of her family, also lost her job. She says she is under constant
surveillance and risked arrest by talking to us.

MARIA VICTORIA GARCIA (through translators) I will be happy if the Pope, among
his many concerns, mentions the question about the tugboat. What has happened
about the incident with the tugboat? What has been done? I would like the
Pope to ask Fidel that question.

QUANA CARRAZANA (through translators) I see him as a messenger of God and
since God always wants the best for human beings, he's going to bring us that
happiness we need, at least spiritually, so that little by little this comes
to an end.

TED KOPPEL (VO) Quana Carrazana's husband, daughter and granddaughter were
among the dead. She lives with her son in poverty and says she is also
harassed by state security.

QUANA CARRAZANA (through translators) The jails are full of political
prisoners. As a result of this interview, I may be arrested. But I'm not
afraid if they arrest me, because I live for my son. If they kill me, I don't
mind, because I'm already dead. If they actually kill me, I don't mind.

REYNALDO CARRAZANA (through translators) He's going to say mass. People are
going to feel fine while he's here and then things will go back to normal.
People will go back to their daily grind, live their day to day difficult
life, sweat and toil and everything will be the same.

TED KOPPEL (VO) Reynaldo, Quana's son, had to leave school. He says he's
periodically picked up or threatened. He supports his mother by making
furniture by hand. His mother is afraid that Fidel Castro will warmly greet
the Pope.

QUANA CARRAZANA (through translators) I don't want that moment to come. I
would turn my face because it's as if God were embracing the Devil. God
cannot embrace the Devil ever. The Pope's visit will help Fidel because it
will look to the world as if Fidel has become more open. But for the Cuban
people, nothing will change.

TED KOPPEL (VO) The men who survived were thrown into prison for several
months. When they were released, Sergio Perodin made his way into exile in
Miami.

SERGlO PERODIN (through translators) I have always been against those who
travel to Cuba to attend one of the masses the Pope will say there. It has
never occurred to me the idea of returning to Cuba as long as this
dictatorship exists.

REYNALDO CARRAZANA (through translators) I'm planning to go. Let's see if
they let me. They can warn me. Here they can warn you. They see you around,
they can simply arrest you and that's it. They don't tell you don't go, but
they say if you go, there might be consequences.

JORGE GARCIA (through translators) I'm planning to go see the Pope, go to the
mass. Probably he will not know that I am there. I will just be one in the
crowd. But I will go there because I have a debt of gratitude to the Pope
that I want to pay.

TED KOPPEL I'll be back with a closing thought in a moment. (Commercial Break)

TED KOPPEL The Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, once mocked the power of the
Pope with his famous rhetorical question how many divisions does the Pope
command? Fidel Castro has a more subtle understanding of the Popes influence.

By welcoming John Paul to Havana tomorrow, Castro may believe that some of
the Pope's moral authority will rub off. But the newly revitalized Catholic
Church of Cuba has already made it clear that the vicar of Christ will be
here visiting the people of Cuba, not engaging in political dialogue with its
leaders.

A simple letter of condolence from the Pope has already showed that it could
make waves in this country. A Papal visit may yet stir up a storm.
That's our report for tonight. I'm Ted Koppel in Havana. For all of us here at
ABC News, good night.

Acknowledge: ABCNews.

20 Years Demanding Justice for the 37 Victims of the "13 de Marzo" Tugboat Massacre

There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. - Elie Wiesel

 

37 Cubans, of which 20 of them ranged in age from 5 months to 27 years old were massacred by agents of the Cuban government on July 13, 1994  in an operation stage managed by State Security. It was only the unexpected appearance of a Greek trawler that brought the massacre to an end leaving survivors to tell what had happened.  The murdered Cubans had been seeking to live in freedom and had a relative who was a tugboat captain that would get them there on board the "13 de Marzo"tugboat. What these Cubans did not know was that State Security had gotten wind of the affair and had prepared for their departure and execution six miles off the Havana coast line.

For the past two decades at FIU a moment of silence held on July 13

The Free Cuba Foundation (FCF) came into existence in August of 1993 and less than a year later this atrocity would shock and outrage its members and lead the organization to commit itself until the present day denouncing the crime and calling for justice.

On the first anniversary of the tugboat sinking FCF members participated in the flotilla organized by Ramon Saul Sanchez and what would later become known as the Democracy Movement that entered Cuban waters to lay flowers at the site where the massacre had taken place. Cuban gunboats crushed the hull of the lead boat "Democracia"on which Ramon Saul Sanchez was on board. (Incidentally the Democracy Movement has organized a flotilla for the 20th anniversary of the "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre.) At the same time at Florida International University a silent vigil was held in memory of the victims.

Silent vigil at FIU on July 13, 1998

This began a tradition of holding a moment of silence on July 13 every year in memory of the "13 de Marzo" Tugboat victims. Gathering around the main fountain at Florida International University in a silent vigil for justice. With or without press coverage, rain or shine, we would gather and pay our respects and continue our demand for justice. We would use the emerging social media at the time to inform the world about what had happened.

On July 14, 1998 Cathy Reyes of the FIU student newspaper, The Beacon, published a story on the vigil titled: "Free Cuba Foundation, community remember "13 de Marzo" victims" reporting on the 25 students and members of the university who gathered the day before in a silent vigil and quoted some of the FCF members who explained the reason for the event:

"Four years ago on early July 13, 1994, the tugboat "13 de Marzo" was attacked by agents of the Cuban government," said John Suarez, ... "They repeatedly rammed the tug, used high pressure water hoses on the victims and sank the ship seven miles off the coast of Havana, Cuba."

"We must remember those who died at the hands of Castro's inhumane regime," said Jose Raul Carro ...  

"We don't think FIU students know much about this event that occurred four years ago. It is an event that the whole world knows, but it is not as known in FIU," said Xavier Utset, FCF president

On December 10, 1998 we signed and sent a signed statement calling on the wider community to "Join Our Silent Call for Justice" that was published in The Miami Herald on December 28, 1998 which placed the July 13, 1994 "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre into Cuba's historical context. In 1999 the Free Cuba Foundation made public another declaration, "Call for Justice on the 5th Anniversary of the "13 de Marzo" Massacre and announced the following:

"We seek to draw attention to these outrages, and we plan to do so by raising a civil and respectful call for justice. We believe that the crimes committed above are a result of the utilization of violence, arrogance, and hatred as government policy. The policy is evil. The best way to oppose evil is not with more evil. Gandhi observed that, "civility and humility are expressions of the spirit of non-violence while incivility and insolence indicates the spirit of violence." Therefore, on July 13, 1999, we will be fasting at Florida International University for 24 hours. We will be holding silent vigils in remembrance of those who have died violently in the Florida Straits..."

The 24 hour fast and a five minute silent vigil for justice were both carried out on July 13, 1999. Over the years in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 the silent vigils continued adding a minute to each year. On the tenth anniversary in 2004 the press descended on Florida International University and reported on the 10 minute vigil that year and The Miami Herald quoted FCF coordinator Neri Martinez:

'This was a massacre,'' said Neri Martínez, 22, coordinator of the Free Cuba Foundation, a student group that organized a vigil at Florida International University. The group marked 10 minutes of silence, one for each year that has passed. ''It's a silent call for justice,'' Martínez said. ``Not only are we remembering the victims, but we are also condemning the crimes committed by the Cuban government on its own people.''

 The Sun Sentinel offered the following report of what took place at FIU on July 13, 2004:

During a noon ceremony at Florida International University, about 20 people climbed up on the edge of an empty concrete fountain, joined hands and stood in silence for about 10 minutes."This was a very big crime against humanity," said Neri Martinez, coordinator for the Free Cuba Foundation, a student group. "People need to remember what's going on inside of Cuba."

On July 12, 2006 at Florida International University the Free Cuba Foundation organized a panel discussion on what had happened on July 13, 1994 and its links to the February 24, 1996 Brothers to the Rescue shoot down. Guest speakers were Ramon Saul Sanchez of the Democracy Movement and Jose Basulto of Brothers to the Rescue. The Associated Press made mention of the gathering in one of its stories on Cuba policy. The following day on July 13 at 12 noon a 12 minute silent vigil was held at the FIU main fountain and captured on video.

Past FCF presidents Susana Navajas (center) and Pedro Ross (far right) listen to Jorge Garcia

 Silent vigils continued to be announced and held at Florida International University in 2007 and 2008 adding a minute for each year that had passed without justice. On 2009 for the 15th anniversary of the "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre the Free Cuba Foundation held a panel discussion with Jorge Garcia, a family member, who had 14 relatives extrajudicially executed in the massacre. Earlier that day FCF held a 15 minute silent vigil. The Spanish newswire EFE reported the following:

"We want to say to the world that this was a crime against persons who only wanted to leave Cuba to have liberty. We consider that this crime should not remain in impunity," said Julio Menache co-president of FCF at FIU. FCF will commemorate the event with a vigil and projection of a ducumentary about persons who lost family members in the sinking of the tugboat. At the event will be present Jorge García who lost 14 family members, among them his son Joel of 20 years of age and his grandson Juan Marion, of 10 years.

In 2010 a dissident who had been jailed for protesting for justice in the case of the July 13, 1994 tugboat massacre joined the silent vigil at FIU organized by FCF and afterwards spoke with us about his ordeal. The silent vigils without much press attention continued to be held in 2011, 2012 and 2013. This year will mark 20 years and the silent vigil will be for 20 minutes. Members will also continue to reflect on what else can be done to obtain justice using nonviolent means for the 37 victims of the tugboat massacre. We are already calling on people of good will world around the world to gather, hold and document their own 20 minute silent vigils for justice for the victims of the July 13, 1994 "13 de Marzo" tugboat massacre.

FCF silent vigil at Florida Internaitonal University in 2013