13 de Marzo Incident
Encyclopedia
On July 13, 1994, seventy-two Cubans attempted to leave the island of Cuba
on the 13 de Marzo, a World War II
era tugboat
from the suburb of Regla in Havana
. The Cuban group, consisting of men, women and children had decided to leave their home country for the United States
. Cuban authorities were aware of the plan, however, and sent one government boat to intercept them. According to some of the survivors, when the 72 tried to escape, the authorities began to spray water at the tugboat. Two more boats surrounded them and started to circle around, ramming the 13 de Marzo until it began to sink.
After forty minutes a Cuban Coast Guard vessel picked up the 31 survivors and took them back to Havana.
Out of the 72 passengers on the 13 de Marzo, 41 drowned, 10 of them children.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
on the 13 de Marzo, a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
from the suburb of Regla in Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
. The Cuban group, consisting of men, women and children had decided to leave their home country for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Cuban authorities were aware of the plan, however, and sent one government boat to intercept them. According to some of the survivors, when the 72 tried to escape, the authorities began to spray water at the tugboat. Two more boats surrounded them and started to circle around, ramming the 13 de Marzo until it began to sink.
After forty minutes a Cuban Coast Guard vessel picked up the 31 survivors and took them back to Havana.
Out of the 72 passengers on the 13 de Marzo, 41 drowned, 10 of them children.