Cuba accuses US of shielding militants after failed speedboat landing

what happened

Cuban law enforcement said on Monday that Washington is letting terrorists act with impunity on American territory. State media, citing a Cuban investigation into a February sea incursion that ended in a gun battle with deaths on both sides, reported the claims. Havana says that on February 25, ten Cuban exiles tried to reach the island by boat from the Florida Keys, carrying nearly 13,000 rounds of ammunition, 11 rifles, 15 handguns and Molotov cocktails. Five were killed, and the rest are in custody facing terrorism charges.

Authorities say some organizers remain free in the US. They named Maritza Lugo Fernandez, a Cuban national in Florida, who denies the accusations. The US Embassy in Cuba and the US Department of Justice did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Cuba and the FBI had earlier said they were cooperating on the case.

why it matters

The story adds to tensions between Havana and Washington, which has pressed Cuba with a de facto fuel blockade and reinforced sanctions that Reuters reports have caused an unprecedented economic crisis. For markets, the direct effect on oil prices is limited; the main impact is on political risk in the region and on Cuba's fuel supply.

market impact

Cuban assets and regional risk: escalating tensions raise political risk around Cuba's fuel supply

tags

instruments