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"Tensión en el Caribe: la frontera marítima entre Cuba y EE.UU. se convierte en escenario de un enfrentamiento que deja cuatro muertos y seis heridos, mientras la crisis diplomática escala. Foto: NightmanX / Pixabay."


Hemisphere
HEMISPHERE ------------------------------------2439ADVISORY

Tiros en el Caribe: Cuba y EE.UU. al borde de una nueva crisis

Un enfrentamiento en aguas cubanas deja cuatro muertos, seis heridos y una crisis diplomática que escala por horas

El 25 de febrero de 2026, aguas cercanas al Cayo Falcones, en Villa Clara, fueron escenario de un violento enfrentamiento que sacudió las ya frágiles relaciones entre La Habana y Washington. Una lancha rápida matriculada en Florida penetró en aguas territoriales cubanas y fue interceptada por guardacostas de la isla, dejando un saldo de cuatro muertos, seis detenidos y un debate abierto sobre soberanía y verdad.

El Ministerio del Interior cubano aseguró que la embarcación transportaba a diez hombres armados con rifles de asalto, pistolas, cócteles molotov y chalecos antibalas, con el objetivo de llevar a cabo una infiltración de carácter terrorista. Según La Habana, los ocupantes dispararon primero contra la patrullera cubana, hiriendo a su comandante, tras lo cual las fuerzas cubanas respondieron. Cuatro personas murieron, entre ellas al menos un ciudadano estadounidense confirmado por funcionarios de Washington.

La reacción estadounidense fue cauta pero firme. El secretario de Estado Marco Rubio reconoció que la embarcación no formaba parte de ninguna operación gubernamental, pero advirtió que su país verificaría los hechos de manera independiente. El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, la Guardia Costera y la Fiscalía del Distrito Sur de Florida abrieron investigaciones paralelas, mientras que el fiscal general del estado, James Uthmeier, también anunció una pesquisa propia. Las versiones de ambos gobiernos divergen en puntos fundamentales: quién disparó primero y cuáles eran las verdaderas intenciones de los ocupantes de la embarcación.

En las semanas previas al incidente, la administración Trump había intensificado su postura hacia Cuba bloqueando suministros de petróleo, reforzando sanciones económicas y elevando una retórica orientada al cambio de régimen en La Habana, en parte como consecuencia de la caída del gobierno de Nicolás Maduro en Venezuela, principal sostén económico de la isla. La ONU había advertido sobre el riesgo de un colapso humanitario ante la profunda crisis energética que atraviesa Cuba.

Lo que resulta innegable es que este episodio no ocurre de manera aislada. El enfrentamiento llegó apenas un día después del 30.º aniversario del derribo por parte del ejército cubano de dos aviones de la organización cubanoamericana Hermanos al Rescate, en 1996, episodio que también cobró cuatro vidas y que marcó un punto de quiebre en las relaciones bilaterales de aquella época. La historia, pareciera, tiene una memoria incómoda.

Con investigaciones abiertas en ambos países, versiones contradictorias y al menos un ciudadano estadounidense entre los fallecidos, el incidente del Cayo Falcones se perfila como uno de los episodios más delicados entre Cuba y Estados Unidos en lo que va del siglo. En un contexto de máxima tensión política, económica y diplomática, la pregunta que queda flotando sobre esas aguas no es solo qué ocurrió exactamente aquella noche, sino hasta dónde puede escalar lo que vino después.

By Heydi Bernal for Ruta Pantera on 2/27/2026 3:48:02 PM

×
References:
Associated Press. (2026, 25 de febrero). Cuba says 4 killed in speedboat shooting were attempting to infiltrate the country. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/25/g-s1-111529/cuba-florida-speedboat
CNN. (2026, 26 de febrero). US citizen was among those killed in Cuba speedboat shootout. Here's what we know. https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/26/americas/cuba-speedboat-shooting-what-we-know-intl-latam
Time. (2026, 25 de febrero). What to know about Cuba's shootout with Florida speedboat. https://time.com/7381346/cuba-florida-speedboat-shooting-terrorism-oil-energy-crisis-rubio-us/


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