HAVANA — 1994 · Major Tragedy
The Sinking of the '13 de Marzo' Tugboat
In the early hours of 13 July 1994, 72 people seeking to leave Cuba for the United States set out from Havana harbour aboard the old tugboat '13 de Marzo'. According to survivors, state-owned tugboats sprayed the vessel with high-pressure water hoses and rammed it repeatedly about seven miles off the bay, and it sank. Forty-one people, including children, died and 31 survived. The Cuban government described it as an accident and no one was prosecuted. Amnesty International and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights examined the case and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. It happened shortly before the mass exodus of that summer.
- Date
- 1994
- Place
- Off Havana Bay, Cuba, Havana, CU
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- -23.1700, -82.3400 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 13 July 1994The tugboat carrying 72 people sank off Havana Bay; 41 died.
- July 1994Survivors said the boat had been deliberately rammed.
- 1995The IACHR opened a case on the sinking.
- 1997Amnesty International published a detailed report on the sinking.
Sources
- Amnesty International — Cuba: The sinking of the '13 de Marzo' tugboat amnesty.org ↗
- Wikipedia (ES) — Remolcador 13 de Marzo es.wikipedia.org ↗
- Amnesty International
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.