Díaz-Canel Leads Commemoration of the La Coubre Ship Attack and Denounces Imperialist Terrorism

Accompanying the president were prominent figures from the Party and the government, including Manuel Marrero, Prime Minister of the Republic. Mar 4, 2025 Photo: Cubadebate

March 4, 2025 Hour: 7:49 pm

The president also took to his X account to reiterate his stance, stating that, because of such acts, “the U.S. should top its list of state sponsors of terrorism.”

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of the Republic, led the commemoration and denunciation ceremony on March 4 for the terrorist attack on the ship La Coubre in 1960. This annual event serves to remember the tragic incident and condemn the imperialist actions aimed at undermining the revolutionary process.

Accompanying the president were prominent figures from the Party and the government, including Manuel Marrero, Prime Minister of the Republic; Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the PCC; Livan Izquierdo Alonso, First Secretary of the Party in Havana; and Yanet Hernández Pérez, Governor of the capital.

The attack on La Coubre, which occurred in the port of Havana, caused an explosion that claimed the lives of nearly 100 people, including Cuban workers and soldiers. Additionally, over 400 people were injured, an event that the Cuban government has historically attributed to terrorist actions sponsored by the United States.

Conmemoramos hoy el aniversario 65 del sabotaje de la CIA contra el barco francés #LaCoubre, anclado en la bahía de La Habana.

Por ese acto terrorista que dejó un centenar de muertos y más de 400 heridos, EE.UU debería encabezar su lista de patrocinadores del terrorismo. pic.twitter.com/OxWtaqHSDk
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) March 4, 2025

In tribute to the victims, floral offerings were laid at the site of the attack on behalf of President Díaz-Canel and other Cuban leaders.

The president also took to his X account to reiterate his stance, stating that, because of such acts, “the U.S. should top its list of state sponsors of terrorism.”

The commemoration also recalled the words of the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, who once reflected on the event: “Those who died there did not fall in combat, but one does not only die for the homeland in combat.” This statement underscores the recognition by the Cuban government and people of those who lost their lives in a tragedy that marked a turning point in the island’s history.

The event not only honors the memory of the victims but also reinforces the official narrative of resistance against what Cuba perceives as external aggression, keeping alive the discourse of struggle and sovereignty that defines its political identity.