Black Activist Assata Shakur, Long Sought by FBI, Dies in Cuba at 78
Havana, Cuba – Assata shakur, a prominent figure in the Black liberation movement and a long-sought fugitive by the FBI, has died in Havana, Cuba, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced today. She was 78 years old.
born Joanne Deborah Byron,Shakur had lived in Cuba under political asylum for over four decades. The Ministry stated she passed away on September 25, 2025, due to health problems and advanced age.
Shakur’s life was marked by activism and legal battles stemming from her involvement with the Black Liberation Army, a far-left organization active in the 1970s. She was accused of fatally shooting a New Jersey state trooper,Werner Foerster,during a 1973 highway shootout.
Following the shooting, Shakur and accomplices fled. She was apprehended in 1977 and convicted of first-degree murder, receiving a life sentence. In 1979, she escaped from prison with the help of sympathetic comrades.
For decades, Shakur remained at large, eventually finding refuge in Cuba in 1984.The FBI continued its pursuit,adding her to its list of most wanted terrorists in 2013 – the first woman to be included on the list – and offering a $1 million reward for details leading to her capture as recently as May of this year.
Beyond her political activism, Shakur was known as the godmother of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.
The news of her death has already drawn reaction from U.S. officials. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the “Cuban regime” of continuing to “offer refuge to terrorists and criminals, including American fugitives.” He added,”We have a duty towards the victims and the American people to maintain our unwavering commitment to request accounts from the Cuban regime,” accompanying his statement with photos of Shakur and the slain police officer.
Shakur’s case remains highly controversial, viewed by supporters as a symbol of resistance against racial injustice and by critics as a testament to a violent past.Her death marks the end of a decades-long saga that has captivated and divided public opinion.
