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🇨🇺 Cuba /Disasters & Emergencies

Brothers to the Rescue leader confesses to firing cannon at Havana hotel

From Granma · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • José Basulto, head of the organization Brothers to the Rescue, confessed to firing a cannon at a Havana hotel in 1962.
  • Basulto claimed the CIA trained him and directed terrorist activities against Cuba, stating U.S. authorities supplied him with weaponry.
  • His confession came during a Miami TV program discussing the trial of his associates arrested with illegal weapons.

José Basulto, leader of the organization Brothers to the Rescue, has publicly confessed to firing a 22mm cannon at a Havana hotel in 1962. Basulto made the admission on the Miami-based program "A Mano Limpia," hosted by Oscar Haza, stating that U.S. authorities trained him in the use of cannons and supplied him with weaponry.

In 1962, I fired a cannon at a hotel in Cuba and so far no one has come to interview me.

— José BasultoBasulto's direct quote confessing to the 1962 attack on a Havana hotel.

Basulto's confession was made during a discussion about the trial of his associates, Santiago Álvarez Magriñá and Osvaldo Mitat, who were recently arrested in possession of illegal firearms. The article alleges that Álvarez Magriñá has been a protector of Luis Posada Carriles, facilitating his illegal entry into the United States.

The U.S. authorities themselves trained me in the use of the cannon at CIA bases.

— José BasultoBasulto's admission about his training by U.S. authorities.

During the program, Basulto was accompanied by figures such as Arturo Hernández, son of Santiago Álvarez; Francisco “Pepe” Hernández, president of the Cuban-American National Foundation (FNCA); and Julio González Rebull, a member of Brigade 2506. Basulto asserted that the CIA not only trained him but also directed the terrorist activities of Cuban-American groups against Cuba.

They supplied me with weaponry at another time.

— José BasultoBasulto's statement regarding receiving weapons.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Granma in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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