Mr. Speaker. we recently marked the third anniversary of one of the many heinous crimes committed by the Castro regime against the enslaved people of Cuba. It was on July 13. 1994. that a group of 72 Cuban refugees boarded the "13th of March" tugboat in an effort to find freedom in the shores of the United States. But shortly thereafter their vessel was ambushed and savagely attacked by Cuban gunboats while still in Cuban waters. Survivors tell the tale of how Cuban authorities mercilessly fired water cannons at the liberty seeking refugees. while at the same time ramming the tugboat in an effort to destroy it. Women and children screamed for pityfor mercybut their cries for help went unanswered. As the boat sank. refugees scrambled for their lives in the deep. warm ocean of the Caribbean. but it was all in vain for the Cuban gunboats circled the sinking ships creating a whirlpool that literally sucked the life of the refugees. Among the dead were 2yearold Sixdy Rodriguez. 3yearold Angel Rene Abreu. and dozens of other women and children. The death toll is estimated at 42. but we will never know the exact number.
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refugees