13 de marzo, remembering The Tugboat Massacre

On July 13,1994, 72 Cubans attempted to flee communism aboard a tugboat named 13 de marzo (13th of March).   Within a few miles of Havana’s coast, they were surrounded by Cuban government officials aboard ships armed with tanks and other weapons.  The government officials proceeded to ram their vessels against the tugboat, splitting its stern, while assaulting its passengers with high pressure water hoses.  The boat sank within minutes, claiming the lives of 41 people, 10 of them children. 

Here are several images of makeshift boats and rafts used by Cuban balseros fleeing the island in search of freedom:



A replica of the 1951 Chevrolet truck/raft can be seen at the corner of SW 8th street and 42nd Avenue, in Miami, Florida.