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At least five people, including a minor, died this Saturday when a boat illegally transporting migrants collided with a ship of the Border Guard Troops, off the west coast of Cubareported the Ministry of the Interior (Minint).
The accident happened when “a boat fast from USAwhich violated the territorial sea of Cuba in a smuggling operation peoplesank down to the north of Bahia Hondain the province of Artemisa (west), after “colliding with a surface unit of Border Guard Troops during their identification”, said the Minint, in a preliminary statement read on Cuban television.
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“As a result of the collision, the boat offender veered (overturned)”leaving “five deceased”. The victims were “a man, three women and a minor”, added the Ministry.
Cuban authorities indicated that another 18 people they were rescued and that they are already carrying out the investigation “for the total clarification of this painful fact.”
East “new event with fatal outcome occurs as a result of the hostile and cruel policy of the United States government”that tolerates and encourages illegal departures from Cuba, to the maintain (in force) the Cuban Adjustment Law”, that privileges Cubans who manage to reach that country with residence and work permits, indicated the Minint.
For its part, the United States sent “Condolences to the families of the Cubans who died today in an accident north of Bahía Honda”his embassy in Havana wrote on Twitter.
“As we expand safe and legal pathways for migration, we caution against attempting dangerous and sometimes fatal irregular migration,” he said.
The collision between the boats is part of the massive exodus of Cubans in the midst of the worst economic crisis that the country has experienced in the last three decades, with shortages of food, medicine, fuel and daily blackouts due to the poor conditions of the infrastructure of electricity generation.
Between October 2021 and August 2022, nearly 200,000 Cubans were intercepted by US authorities, according to US Customs and Border Protection, after entering the border with Mexico or crossing the Straits of Florida in precarious vessels.
This is a sharp increase compared to the same period last year, when the United States intercepted some 30,000 Cubans.
Source: Elcomercio
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
