Havana/Roberto Azcorra Consuegra, one of the names included by the Ministry of the Interior on the list of those allegedly involved in the incident with a boat intercepted in the waters of Villa Clara that left four dead and seven injured, he publicly denied any link with the events and assured that he is not even in Cuba. In an interview with the jurist Eloy Viera for The Touchthe young man from Cienfuegos stated that he has resided in the United States since 2017 and said he was amazed at “how badly they work” in State Security, referring to the inclusion of his name without any verification. Azcorra also suggested that the group had been infiltrated.
In another conversation with influencer Eliecer AvilaAzcorra confirms that he stole a Border Guard Troops boat to escape from the Island, that he was in the Bahamas and that he currently has political asylum in the United States. That is, he is not unknown to the authorities in Cuba. The young man suggests that they could have previously sent his name to Cuba, and they assumed that he was among the expedition members.
His testimony introduces the first visible crack in the official version of the operation that occurred near Cayo Falcones, where the Border Guard Troops intercepted a speedboat coming from Florida. According to Havana, the occupants disobeyed the order to stop and opened fire, which led to a shootout that left four dead and six wounded among the crew, in addition to an injured Cuban agent.
Miguel Díaz-Canel himself, in his appearance on February 5, advanced the events
The doubts do not end there. The brother of the only fatality identified so far –Michel Ortega Casanova– declared to Martí News that his relative, 54 years old, belonging to the Republican Party of Cuba (PRC) and a native of Morón, had been living in the United States for more than two decades. “This is badly told,” he said, questioning the way in which the Government has presented the facts, showing his brother as a “terrorist.” Ortega was also married and had his children living outside the country.
Although several of the names have been linked to the PRC, its president, Ibrahim Bosch, distanced himself from the armed incidentstating that the organization “has nothing to do with this action.” Bosch reiterated that the organization does not promote armed actions nor control individual decisions of its members. Although the group confirmed that one of the deceased, Ortega Casanova, belonged to its ranks, it assured that it was completely unaware of their alleged intentions and expressed condolences to the families, stressing that the case is still in the clarification phase.
The situation of Duniel Hernández Santos, indicated by the authorities as the supposed link on land to receive the vessel, also raises questions. Although the Ministry of the Interior presents him as a key part of the operation, so far it has offered little verifiable data about his specific role, background or links with the crew members. People who say they know him maintain that he was deported to Cuba from the United States in 2024.
The political focus of the case has also fueled suspicions. It is striking that the Cuban Government had been warning of alleged violent plans against the country, which has led to speculation about the possibility that the authorities knew in advance the details of the expedition, as well as the names of those involved. Miguel Díaz-Canel himself, in his appearance on February 5, announced: “Today we know of plans for terrorist acts that are being supported, financed and are being prepared from the United States to attack Cuba.”
Marco Rubio avoided speculating about responsibilities or possible responses until verifying the facts
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington investigate independently the boat incident off the Cuban coast after being notified by Havana, and stressed that most of the available information still comes from the Cuban authorities.
Rubio avoided speculating about responsibilities or possible responses until verifying the facts, confirmed that they were not US Government personnel and pointed out that the Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security and the Embassy in Havana are working to determine the identity of the occupants and obtain access to them if they are citizens or residents of the United States. At the same time, he insisted that the United States will not make decisions based solely on the official Cuban version and announced that it will respond once the facts are established with certainty.
From Florida, several congressmen also demanded an independent investigation and made clear their distrust of the official reports of the Cuban regime. Political pressure suggests the episode could escalate diplomatically if irregularities are confirmed.
The Cuban Government defends its right to protect territorial waters and maintains that it acted in legitimate defense. However, the antecedents invite distrust. The lack of transparency, the still incomplete identities and the denial from US territory keep the case open.
