Eder Peralta

We were able to learn about one of the survivors.

His name is Amahail Sánchez González, and he runs a group called Autodefensa del Pueblo, or the People's Self-Defense Group.

And I spoke to his friend,

Kiki Naranjo.

They run the organization together, and he says that over the past few years, they've been recruiting Cubans inside the island to build a clandestine society.

Essentially, he says, the point is to sabotage the Cuban government from the inside.

And Naranjo says he did not know of the plans that Sánchez had, but that he would have been proud to be on that boat.

All of them are men who want Cuba to be free, he says, but they grew tired.

They got tired of promises from Congress.

And I pressed him a little bit because the Trump administration is also very much turning up the pressure on Cuba.

The U.S.

has enacted an oil blockade, driven the country to the brink of collapse.

And I asked Naranjo if he didn't think that was enough to topple the government.

And he replied, the only thing the Cuban government understands is bullets.

Yeah, I mean, look, the first thing everyone thought when they heard this news was Brothers to the Rescue.

And 30 years ago this week, the Cuban government shot down the plane of a U.S.

organization that helped rescue Cuban migrants out at sea.

Four people were killed and the U.S.

Congress reacted by codifying the embargo against Cuba.

Those sanctions are still in place today.