July 14th., 1997
Human Rights/ Personal Testimony:
THE SINKING OF THE 13 DE MARZO TUG BOAT
by SERGIO PERODIN
A Cuban Coast Guard cutter, that was watching the tragedy but never tried
to stop it, saw a Greek ship addressing to Havana Bay. Then, with the intention
to erase the image of the massacre, the cutter began rescueing operations.
The "13 de Marzo" tug boat, in which we had tried to flee Cuba
the morning of July 13, 1994, had been sank. Those of us who could grab a
floating ice box, saved our lives. When everything was over, 31 people had
survived. Fourty-one, including 23 children, had died. My wife Pilar and my
11-year-old son Yasser, were among the dead ones.
Preparing the D-Day
Since long before, we had been planning the escape. At the beginning,
during my 1994 vacations, I have contacted a close friend of mine, whose name I
cannot say by now. With him, I hold the first talk about the idea. We two
visited Raul Munoz, captain of "13 de Marzo", who at that time was in
charge of Empresa de Navegacion Mambisas's other ship. We got a new alliance for
our plans. After meeting Munoz, we met Fidencio Ramel Prieto, operations chief
of Havana port and Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in his workplace.
There was a mutual confidence. Munoz and Ramel Prieto were wanting to leave Cuba
as intensively as ourselves.
So, we began plotting the details of the escape.
Before July 13, we had carried out three attempts to leave Cuba, but
several reasons forced us to postpone the crossing. Finally, on July 13 the
group got into the 13 de Marzo. Ramel Prieto had the tug boat under his control,
including the motor's key and the rudder. Cuban ships may not be at port with
the key and rudder on board.
When we had just addressed the tug boat to Florida Straights waters, still
in Havana Bay, we learned that Cuban State Security forces knew our plans.
Chronology
We set sail about 300 meters from the port headquarters, which is in the
middle of the bay. We sailed around the city of Regla area, getting away as much
as possible from the headquarters. But even doing so, a so-called Polargo-type
tug boat came to us when we were sailing at 200 meters from El Morro fort. From
the Polargo tug boat they tried to sink "13 de Marzo" by using high
pressure water hoses. People in Havana Malecon (a popular seafront place),
couples, fishermen, began to shout asking the Polargo's crew not to sink us. The
women on "13 de Marzo" went to the deck and showed the children,
seeking the Polargo men to understand they were going to kill even children.
They did not stop. Then there was a collision between the Polargo and "13
de Marzo", and we got the opportunity to flee Havana Bay. When getting the
open sea, we saw two other Polargo ships hidden behing El Morro, whose crews
were waiting for us. The three Polargo tug boats surrounded our ship and began
using the high pressure water hoses once again forcing "13 de Marzo"
to get away from the coast. They crashed "13 de Marzo" intentionally
again and over again, trying to overturn us. But "13 de Marzo"'s
structure was really strong. Then they decided to stand one in front and one
behind us. The Polargo behind us hit "13 de Marzo" several times until
our tug boat began to sink. When they saw our ship was sinking, the Polargo
behind us rode 13 de Marzo's stern. Fifty percent of "13 de Marzo" was
already under water at that time.
About 30 people remained trapped into "13 de Marzo"'s holds.
Those of us who could reach the water surface saw how the Polargos were making
whirlpools around us at a high speed. They remained doing this for over 40
minutes. Obviously, they were trying not to leave survivors who could become
dangerous witnesses. A group of 15 to 18, including my son Sergio and I, grabed
a floating ice box. So we could survive. We knew nothing about other members of
our family also on "13 de Marzo".
The "Rescue"
Surprisingly, the three Polargos stoped. After that, a Cuban Coast Guard
cutter came and rescued us. When we were on the cutter we understood why it had
rescued us. A Greek ship had been addressing to Havana Bay about 800 to 1,000
meters from the scene. The cutter knew from the beginning what was going on. Its
crew members had seen what the Polargos were doing with us. The cutter had
followed the Polargos and "13 de Marzo" all the time.
We remained on the cutter from 4 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Then they took us to a
naval station in Jamanitas beach, where we saw generals and colonels. They
jailed us until 6 p.m., when five children and five women from our group were
taken to their homes. The men were transfered to Villa Marista, the Cuban State
Security headquarters. We spent 20 days at Villa Marista. After this, they
imposed us a house arrest.
Another attempt
In such a difficult situation, with a lot of work, we secretly made a raft.
On August 23, 1994, we went to the sea once again. That was a succesful attempt.
Fifty miles from Cuba, we were rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter and taken to
Guatanamo naval base.
For humanitarian reasons, especially for my son Sergio who fled with me,
four members of our family, all of us survivors from the "13 de Marzo"
experience, were granted a parole to travel to Miami.
I am going to fight as much as I can to help people understand the crime
against the innocent men, women and children trying to flee Cuba on the "13
de Marzo" tug boat.x
...............
Perodin testified before a U.S. Congress committee on February 1995, before
the U.N. Human Rights Commission on March 1995, and before two subcommissions of
the Venezuela's Senate on April, 1995. U.N Human Rights Commssion condemned
Castro's regime for the sinking of "13 de Marzo" in 1995. It has
condemned Cuba during the last seven years.