Havana/Five days after the altercation in the waters of Villa Clara between Border Guard Troops and a boat with Florida registration, which resulted in the death of four of the 10 crew members of that boatthe Ministry of the Interior reported, this Monday, another “operation.” On this occasion, according to a statement – first spread on Facebook by Yuniasky Crespo Baquero, head of the Ideological Department of the Central Committee, then by the Communist Party and, finally, by Cubadebate–, 10 Panamanian citizens, “residents in that country”, were arrested and accused of the crime of “propaganda against the constitutional order.”
The arrest occurred only on Saturday and, according to the brief text, “these people had been directed to enter Cuba with the purpose of making signs with content of a subversive nature, contrary to the constitutional order.” And he continues: “Once the objective was met, they had to leave the country and upon their return to Panama they would receive a sum of money that, according to their first statements, ranges between 1,000 and 1,500 dollars for each one.”
The statement ensures that “those involved have acknowledged being the authors of events of this nature,” which took place in the early hours of February 28.
Other graffiti contained phrases such as “Communism: enemy of the community”, “No to tyranny” or “We trust Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Mike Hammer.”
That Saturday, several graffiti appeared in different parts of the capital. “Down with the Castros-Canel,” read one of them, carried out in Vía Blanca, in the municipality of Cerro, and disseminated on social networks. It was accompanied by the date –02-28-26– and the signature “CDPC” (according to some informants, Road to Peaceful Democracy of Cuba). This newspaper confirmed the traces: in the morning hours of that day, the fresh paint that covered it could still be seen. In the surrounding area, in addition, “voluntary work” of cleaning was evident.
Other graffiti, credited by communicators such as Mario J. Pentón, contained phrases such as “Communism: enemy of the community”, “No to tyranny” or “We trust Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Mike Hammer”, referring, respectively, to the president of the United States, his Secretary of State and his ambassador to the Island. All of them, with the same date and the same signature. The peculiarity is that they appeared in the town of Jaimanitas, about 15 kilometers from Cerro, a considerable distance for the fuel shortage that is choking the Island.
The Government of Panama has not commented on the event, for the moment, which several network users relate to last week’s incident. “Surely it is related to the alleged infiltration of the boat [de] USA,” says commentator Tania Tania.
In the midst of all the opinions, mostly sympathetic to the regime and in favor of “the full weight of the law falling on the detainees,” some take it with bitter humor, like Rocelys Sandoval: “Let them exchange them for 10 oil ships.”
Others, like Sahily Torres Forteza, show suspicion: “As you have a master’s degree in training theater and circus, that perhaps is a screen to divert attention, these are convenient for the Castro dictatorship.” shows to become victims, they are stories poorly told and with errors.”
The initial version of what happened in Villa Clara on February 25, precisely, had to be corrected later by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, after several media showed that one of those included in the list of the Ministry of the Interior as involved in the altercation, Roberto Azcorra Consuegrahad not actually moved from the United States, where he resides.
Despite the regime’s explanations, and the fact that the United States announced an independent investigation, the episode still surrounded by gray areas. Pável Alling Peña, Michel Ortega Casanova, Ledián Padrón Guevara and Héctor Duani Cruz Correa were officially identified as the four killed in the confrontation, and Cristian Ernesto Acosta Guevara, Conrado Galindo Serrior, José Manuel Rodríguez Castelló, Leordán Cruz Gómez, Amijail Sánchez González and Roberto Álvarez Ávila, the wounded. In addition, Interior indicated that there was an injured Border Guard officer, although it has not revealed the name.
