MIAMI, United States. — This July 6 marks the 42nd anniversary of the massacre of the Canimar Riverin which at least 56 people died, including 20 children, who were trying to escape from the Island on the excursion boat XX Aniversario.
The event, which occurred in the province of Matanzas, was remembered in social networks by the platform Cuba Archivewhich reviewed the names of some of the victims of the tragedy.
The minors Delio Gómez González (17 years old), Lilian González López (3), Marisol Martínez Aragonés (17), Osmany Rosales Valdés (9) and Marisel San Juan Aragonés (11), as well as the adults Onelia, died during that day. Quintana Cremales (50), Sergio Águila Yanes (19), Mirta de Armas Naranjo, Juan Domínguez Alfonso, Vicente Fleitas Cabrera (56), José Ramón San Juan (60) and Primitivo Pulgarón.
In accordance with Cuba ArchiveOf the 56 victims — all officially declared “disappeared” — the names of only 13 are known.
Count
In 1980, a tourist excursion service was inaugurated in Cuba on the ship XX Aniversario, which had a capacity for around 100 passengers. She sailed inland for about five miles along the picturesque Canímar River, which empties into Matanzas Bay near Varadero beach.
On July 6, 1980, as part of the Mariel exodus, three armed youths hijacked the boat. After a lengthy pursuit in which the FAR’s air and sea forces intervened, the 20th anniversary ended up sunk in international waters.
Fidel Castro’s order was clear: prevent the boat from leaving for the United States at all costs.
In the water, survivors faced gunfire and sharks drawn to blood. Silvio Águila and Roberto Calveiro, two of the three young people who took part in the 20th anniversary, jumped into the water and saved several survivors from drowning.
points out Cuba Archive that Silvio and Roberto were sentenced to thirty years in prison and served part of the sentence in the Combinado del Este prison in Havana. They were subjected to psychiatric torture with psychotropic drugs and at least Roberto was held in dark cells for four years (1983-1987). Both were released thanks to the intervention of Spanish politicians and left for exile in the Iberian country.
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