Five questions, with Maria C. Werlau

If you read only one thing about Cuba this week, make it "Cuba: The Tugboat Massacre of July 13, 1994," Maria C. Werlau's report on the sinking by Cuban authorities of the tugboat, the "13th of March," which had been commandeered by about 70 Cubans seeking freedom in the United States.

It is a seering indictment of the Castro regime.

An excerpt:

Over time, as more survivors and witnesses left the island and their accounts were pieced together, it became apparent that the Cuban government had planned the murder. It was evident that spied had been infiltrated who offered early and detailed knowledge of the preparations. Reportedly, once the plot was known, the decision had been made at the highest levels of government to not foil it by arresting the organizers or closing the entrance to Havana harbor. Instead, they would be allowed to steal the tugboat, so it could be sunk and an enduring lesson could be delivered to prevent further escapes from the island.

Werlau, executive director of the Cuba Archive, which seeks to document the stories of Cubans killed by either the Castro or Batista dictatorships, this week answered a few questions from me about the report, and the work of the Cuba Archive.

What was the most difficult part of your research for the article?

At the intellectual level, trying to sort all the discrepancies in what had been written about the massacre, different witness accounts, lists of names, etc. In the case of one boy, we had the name reported five different ways!

At the emotional level, it was a very draining and unnerving experience, probably for many reasons. I became very familiar with each one of the victims in researching their case, who was related to whom, etc., so there was a sense of profound loss. Imagining the horror of how they died was frightening. The terrible injustice of taking these lives so gratuitously and the impunity of the crime, coupled with the indifference of the international community, made me angry and deeply frustrated.

I slept fitfully many nights, could imagine the panic of the parents trying to save their children, the shock they must have all felt at what was happening, the force of the water jets pushing some to sea, weakened until they drowned, the moments the boat sank with the people banging to get out, trapped under the deck, knowing they would die. I could see the faces in the photos in the last thoughts I had before falling asleep exhausted and then would wake up all of a sudden the next morning, not rested at all, and see them again in my mind. It took too many days of immersion in the story to put it together. That dragged on the dread and pain.

What do you think this episode reveals about the fundamental nature of the Castro dictatorship?

That it is bent on power at all costs, willing to exercise it with no moral or any other boundaries, and that it has a profound disregard for life and all fundamental rights of individuals. Sadly, this is not news nor did it begin with this massacre. It has been like that from the start.

What do you hope the reporting of your findings accomplishes?

Create awareness both outside and inside Cuba of the need to pressure the Castro regime to transition to a democracy and respect the rights of Cuba's citizens.

Are there any other episodes in the past 50 years that demand the same type of study that you did of the 13th of March massacre?

Regrettably, too many, all with their respective salient characteristics. The Canimar River Massacre of 1980 is the most similar to the Tugboat Massacre, but also, for example, the Cojimar uprising of 1993. One long and tragic reality of the Castro period — a story that needs to be put together that will require lots of time and effort — is the systematic killing of civilians in exit attempts, all throughout the nearly five decades and all over the island, and at Cuba's Berlin Wall, the perimeter surrounding the U.S. Guantanamo Naval Base.

Why is it important to document the names and other information about those who have died at the hands of the Batista and Castro dictatorships?

To advance freedom for Cubans, to end impunity for heinous crimes, to lay a foundation for national reconciliation, to honor the sacrifice of those who paid with their lives, and to instill a respect for life and liberty by educating on the huge human cost of violence.

For information on how to help Werlau and the Cuba Archive, including making donations or sharing your story, go here.