This past Sunday, Cuban citizens solemnly remembered the tragic deaths of Julia Caridad Ruiz Blanco, aged 35, and her young son Ángel René Abreu Ruiz, aged three, marking the 31st anniversary of the 13 de Marzo tugboat sinking. "It's been 31 years now, today is July 13th, since Cary, our neighbor and friend from Víbora Park, was murdered while aboard the 13 de Marzo tugboat with many others, including her little boy René, who was just three years old," wrote Tony Ex-Flaco on Facebook.
Tony reminisced about "Cary la flaca," as she was affectionately known in the neighborhood, recalling her home across from the primary school they all attended. "She always had a smile on her face," he remembered. He further recounted, "My neighbor and her son were brutally killed along with over forty others when the 13 de Marzo tugboat was ruthlessly rammed by another vessel made of ferrocement."
Describing the horrific event, he continued, "They all drowned, swept away by powerful water cannons. No help was given. The few who survived did so thanks to the sudden appearance of a Greek merchant ship. Without it, there would have been no survivors. July 13th is forever marked by this cowardly murder, injustice, and shame," he added.
A Crime Without Justice
According to Ramona Blanco Amador, mother of Ruiz Blanco, as documented in a book on the tragedy by Jorge A. García, a Cuban professor who lost 14 family members in the incident, Cary was "a professional, a well-rounded individual." Her mother recalled, "I have seven children, she was the fifth; the youngest of the girls. She was the favorite, her siblings were jealous. They said the best was always for her. It was true because my joy was seeing her happy."
In Cuba, the young woman worked as an official programmer for Culture, and "everyone at work admired and loved her." Her mother described her as "a very humane person; not one to laugh easily. Talking with her, you realized she was refined and educated. Julia is not dead. She lives on. They killed her as if she were a rabid dog! They are hyenas, and hyenas eat their own young," her mother lamented.
Tragic History Remembered
This Sunday marked the 31st anniversary of the 13 de Marzo tugboat sinking, one of the most heinous crimes of the Castro regime. The event took place in the early hours of July 13, 1994, near the coast of Havana. Deliberately executed, the massacre occurred seven miles off the Havana coastline, resulting in 37 deaths, including 10 children.
The bodies of the victims have never been recovered from the ocean floor, as documented by García, who dedicated the last three decades of his life to revealing the truth about the crime before passing away in Miami in June 2024. The sinking of the 13 de Marzo tugboat stands as one of the darkest and most tragic episodes in Cuba's contemporary history, and paradoxically, remains unknown to much of the island's population.
The vessel, carrying 68 desperate individuals seeking freedom from the oppressive regime, was deliberately attacked by Cuban state vessels. Survivors recounted that three Cuban tugboats, Polargo 1, Polargo 2, and Polargo 3, were responsible for sinking the ship by ramming it and blasting it with massive jets of water.
For activists, dissidents, massacre survivors, and Cuban-American politicians, the impunity enjoyed by the Cuban regime, responsible for this atrocity, is a slap in the face to human rights and the memory of those who perished on that fateful day. The attack was ordered by Fidel and Raúl Castro and carried out by vessels from the State Maritime Services Company (EESM), just seven miles (a little over 11 kilometers) from Havana's coast.
The tugboat departed from Salvamento dock, near Tallapiedra, around three in the morning. As it passed the Naval Base, near the Regla and Casablanca ferry terminals, it was intercepted by the three Polargo boats, which had the green light to execute their grim plan. Through ramming and water cannon blasts, they attempted to prevent the tugboat's escape. Nonetheless, it managed to cross Havana Bay and ventured into open waters, where the massacre was mercilessly carried out.
Despite the passage of 31 years since this tragedy, those responsible have not been brought to justice. The Cuban government attempted to portray the incident as an accident, never initiating a judicial process and ultimately silencing the case despite repeated efforts by families and activists to hold those accountable in court.
Frequently Asked Questions about the 13 de Marzo Tugboat Tragedy
What happened during the 13 de Marzo tugboat sinking?
The 13 de Marzo tugboat was deliberately attacked by Cuban state vessels on July 13, 1994, leading to the deaths of 37 people, including 10 children. It was an act of violence ordered by Fidel and Raúl Castro.
Have those responsible for the tragedy been prosecuted?
No, the Cuban government has not prosecuted those responsible for the tragedy. They attempted to present the incident as an accident and never opened a judicial process, despite demands from survivors and activists.
Who were Julia Caridad Ruiz Blanco and Ángel René Abreu Ruiz?
Julia Caridad Ruiz Blanco, a professional and beloved community member, and her young son Ángel René Abreu Ruiz were among the victims of the tugboat sinking. They were remembered for their warmth and the joy they brought to those around them.