THE Cuban government last Tuesday, September 26th, released images from the security cameras of its embassy in the United States, where an attack with an incendiary bomb was registered last Sunday night.
‘Moment in which the terrorist arrives in front of the Cuban embassy in the US and ignites the Molotov cocktails and throws them against the facade of the mission,’ Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said through the social network X.
The minister released the fragment of an original video from a camera of the Cuban diplomatic mission in Washington. He pointed out that the video was handed over to the US authorities.
The images show a person dressed in dark clothes and with his face hidden. He stops in front of the embassy’s door and calmly sets fire to the two incendiary bombs, despite the traffic behind him.
The Cuban government denounced the terrorist attack perpetrated on Sunday night. On the occasion, Cuba denounced the permissive attitude of the US authorities, who encourage the feeling of impunity for anti-Cuban groups operating in the United States.
The results of the investigation that US security forces have reportedly opened into the incident have not yet been made public.
This is the second violent attack against the Cuban diplomatic headquarters in recent years. In April 2020, an individual fired an assault rifle at the embassy. Such terrorist attacks are condemned not only by the Caribbean island but also by governments, agencies and organisations around the world.
‘The act of violence and impotence could have cost valuable lives. We denounce it and expect action from the US authorities,’ Cuban president Diaz-Canel said.
Last Monday, the Cuban ambassador to the United States Lianys Torres said that after the attack at the Cuban embassy in Washington, the US authorities were ‘immediately’ notified to inform them of what happened and to investigate it.
‘After last night’s terrorist attack against our Embassy was perpetrated, we immediately contacted the US authorities, who were given access to the Mission to take samples of the Molotov cocktails,’ she said.
Her message was accompanied by four photographs in which remains of a Molotov cocktail can be seen in one of the windows of the building and another on the ground.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez had returned to Havana hours earlier after spending a week in New York on the occasion of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Last Sunday night, Rodriguez described the attack as terrorist and accused anti-Cuban groups of it. He pointed out that these ‘turn to terrorism when they feel impunity’ and denounced that the Cuban government has alerted the US authorities repeatedly about this situation.
He added that the Cuban embassy in Washington already suffered another attack in April 2020, when ‘an individual fired an assault rifle at the headquarters’ of the diplomatic legation. Last Monday, the Cuban government called on the United States to action.
‘Hate launched last night, again, a terrorist attack against our Embassy in Washington, in an act of violence and impotence that could have cost valuable lives. We denounce it and expect action from the US authorities,’ Diaz-Canel said through social networks.
Last Sunday night, the government of Venezuela condemned the attack with Molotov cocktails on the Cuban embassy in Washington.
‘From Venezuela, we condemn this new terrorist attack against the sovereign integrity of Cuba. We stand in solidarity with its people and authorities,’ Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said through social networks.
‘Today’s night, 9/24, the Cuban Embassy in the US was the target of a terrorist attack by an individual who threw two Molotov cocktails. There was no damage to the personnel. The details are being determined,’ Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez stated.
He accused anti-Cuban groups of the attack, pointing out that ‘they resort to terrorism when they feel impunity’ and denounced that Cuba has alerted US authorities repeatedly about this situation.
On social networks, the reactions to the attack on the Cuban embassy were immediate and demonstrated their solidarity with the Caribbean nation.
‘The irony of international relations. Cuba is on the US list of “State sponsor of terrorism” and a few hours ago the Cuban embassy suffered a new terrorist attack involving two Molotov cocktails. The second since April 2020,’ Anibal Garzon, a Spanish sociologist, pointed out.
- Hundreds of Haitians last Tuesday continued to arrive in the province of Dajabón to return to their native country.
Tension has increased in the area of the construction of the canal on the natural border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, on the Masacre River, which is being carried out by Haitian nationals.
Trenches have been prepared on both sides of the border, where the presence of Dominican Army soldiers and agents of the Brigade of Surveillance of Protected Areas (BSAP) has also grown.
According to official reports, the defensive trenches that allow shooting undercover are made with sacks filled with sand and have been placed on the borderline on both the Haitian and Dominican sides.
The presence of armed soldiers from the Specialised Corps for Land Border Security (Cesfront), as well as Haitian environmental protection agents, has been observed in the area.
‘Yes, we have those sacks here so that if they come to attack us, if they don’t shoot gas we will shoot them too, that’s what we are preparing for,’ a BSAP agent expressed in a statement.
Due to the tension and uncertainty generated by the construction of the canal between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, hundreds of Haitians continue to arrive in the province of Dajabón to return to their native country, where Cesfront agents allow them to pass through the border crossing in the morning hours.
The border crossing was closed on September 15, due to the construction of a canal being carried out by civilians in Juana Méndez-Haiti in defiance of Dominican authorities, for which the government of Luis Abinader made the decision to close the land, sea and air border until the work is stopped.
Last Thursday, the Haitian government reaffirmed that the construction of the canal on the Masacre River, this country’s natural border with the Dominican Republic, must go ahead and has decided to support the works, despite the conflict that has arisen with Santo Domingo.
- Last Friday, the Haitian government reported that the Haitian National Police (HNP) is coordinating a set of operations with the purpose of regaining control of the Carrefour-Feuilles area which is under the control of armed gangs.
‘Several Specialised units of the National Police are stationed mainly in Savanne Pistache to favour the resumption of commercial activities and the operation of public transport in the districts of Fouchard, Charity, 1ère Avenue, Croix L’évêque and Titus,’ the Haitian government said.
Furthermore, through a press release, the government assured that the Haitian police is doing this so that the population in that locality can return to their homes after the assaults by armed gangs in Grand Ravine.
The report also stated that the HNP agents have mortally wounded several armed bandits in exchanges of fire during the course of the operations.
The government pledged to combat crime and acts of banditry throughout the national territory.
Barricades erected by armed bandits were removed by law enforcement to facilitate movement in the area.
According to official data, just like on September 5, Specialised units such as SWAT, BRI, BLTS, BLVV, UTAG, UDMO, CIMO, are conducting multiple interventions and patrolling the neighbourhoods.
On September 5, the Haitian National Police (PNH) conducted an offensive to retake control of Carrefour-Feuilles following the bloody attacks by the Grand Ravine gang.