Two Cubans died and 21 were rescued on Friday night after the speedboat in which they were trying to leave the country was wrecked. The ship, with registration FL 7176SU of the United States, was semi-sunk in the vicinity of the town of Santa Cruz del Norte, in the province of Mayabeque, As reported the Ministry of the Interior.
In the statement, it is read that the Maritime Coordination Center for the Search and Rescue of Border Guard Troops received an emergency call from a private vessel that was “overloaded with people, in adverse hydrometeorological conditions.”
On the night of the shipwreck, assistance was provided to “two minors, seven women” and 12 men. The Cuban government blamed the United States for “stimulating irregular emigration,” which, it said, “is taken advantage of by human traffickers, who for profit put life at risk and cause the death of human beings.”
This Saturday, with the support of naval units, the search for possible missing persons in the vicinity of the coast continued.
The night of the shipwreck, assistance was provided to “two minors, seven women” and 12 men
The Island is experiencing the worst economic crisis in 27 years. In recent months it has increased in the tourism sector, to which must be added the effects of the lack of medical supplies during the pandemic and a wave of repression against minors, artists and opponents. For many, leaving Cuba is the only option.
Just in May, in an attempt to leave the Island and reach the Florida coast, two Cuban rafters died and another ten disappeared at sea. The rustic boat had left the Port of Mariel and after four days of crossing it capsized.
While, in March another shipwreck was registered with 19 people on board near the Bahamas. 12 survived, one body was rescued, but the others disappeared into the sea, including several women and two children. The launch had left Villa Clara. The ship was wrecked three miles from Cayo Sal and its passengers remained in the water for up to 14 hours, when they were rescued by a ship from the Royal Bahamas Defense Force.
Official US figures have recorded that since October 1, Coast Guard crews intercepted 339 Cubans compared to 5,396 migrants from the same country in 2016; 1,468 in 2017 and 259 in 2018.
In 2019, 313 Cuban migrants were intercepted, while in 2020 there were 49 and until September 2021 the figure rose significantly to 838.
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