The Albany Gazette - Man shot by Cuban coast guard wanted to spark uprising: ally

Cuba has vowed to defend itself against "terrorist and mercenary" attacks after reporting it had killed four gunmen in a Florida-registered boat near its shores -- an incident that added to deepening tensions between Havana and Washington.

Michel Ortega Casanova was identified by Cuba as one of four people killed on Wednesday, with Havana saying all on board were Cubans living in the United States.

"His goal was to go and fight against a criminal and murderous narco-tyrannical (government), to see if that would spark the people to rise up," said Wilfredo Beyra, head of the Cuban Republican Party in Tampa.

"I had warned him that it was not the time to take such action for the freedom of Cuba, that he had to wait," the head of the Florida-based opposition political organization told AFP by telephone.

Beyra, who had known Ortega Casanova for four or five years, said he last spoke to him about 10 days ago.

Ortega Casanova, reported to be a 54-year-old truck driver, had told him several times about his intentions.

"In Florida, several groups openly declare that they are willing, through military training, to fight for the freedom of their homeland. And Michel was part of one of those groups," he said.

Ortega Casanova had spoken of taking action "at any moment," Beyra said.

- Trump pressures Cuba -

Beyra said he also knew one of the men identified by Havana as being wounded, Leordan Enrique Cruz Gomez, whom he met at a political event in Miami last year.

They had stayed in touch via calls and text messages, Beyra said, with the last of those exchanged less than two weeks ago.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel denounced Wednesday's incident as an attempted "infiltration," while his government said assault rifles, handguns, Molotov cocktails and other military-style gear were seized.

President Donald Trump has branded Cuba a "failed nation" and an "extraordinary threat" to US national security, though he has so far dismissed mounting a regime change operation.

He cut off key supplies of Venezuelan oil to Cuba after ousting Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro in January.

Cuba, under a US trade embargo since 1962, has for years battled shortages of fuel, medicine and food, even before the Caribbean country of 9.6 million people lost its main oil supplier.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States had nothing to do with Wednesday's incident just off Cuba's north coast and would "respond accordingly" after investigating it.

(N.Miller--TAG)