Assata Shakur, the former Black Liberation Army (BLA) member, notorious U.S. fugitive, and the first woman ever placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list, has died in Havana, Cuba. She was 78.

Cuba’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the death on Friday, stating that Shakur, also known by her birth name Joanne Chesimard, passed away on Thursday due to “health ailments and her advanced age.” Shakur had been living in Cuba under political asylum since 1984, defying U.S. authorities who offered a $2 million reward for her capture.

Background and Conviction

Shakur, who was also the godmother and step-aunt of legendary slain rapper Tupac Shakur, became a central figure in the racial and political tensions of the early 1970s.

The 1973 Turnpike Shootout

Shakur was convicted for her involvement in a May 2, 1973, shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike. The incident began when New Jersey State Troopers pulled over the car she was driving for a broken taillight.

• The altercation resulted in the death of State Trooper Werner Foerster and BLA member Zayd Malik Shakur.
• Shakur herself was shot twice and apprehended at the scene.
• In 1977, an all-white jury convicted Shakur of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and other felonies, sentencing her to life in prison.

Throughout her life, Shakur maintained her innocence in the killing, claiming she was shot with her hands in the air and was targeted by the FBI as part of its widespread program against Black militant organizations.

The Escape and Life in Exile

Shakur’s time in the U.S. prison system was brief. In November 1979, members of the Black Liberation Army, posing as visitors, successfully broke her out of the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey.

Asylum in Cuba

After four years underground, she reappeared in Cuba in 1984. The island’s then-leader, Fidel Castro, granted her political asylum, citing her as a victim of U.S. persecution.

While living in Havana, Shakur continued to write and publish, including her autobiography in 1987, and appeared in various documentaries. Her presence in Cuba, alongside a small number of other U.S. fugitives, became a persistent point of contention between Washington and Havana.

FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist

Shakur’s legal status dramatically escalated in 2013 on the 40th anniversary of Trooper Foerster’s death.

The FBI officially designated Joanne Chesimard/Assata Shakur as a Most Wanted Terrorist—the first woman ever to be placed on the prestigious list. Simultaneously, the FBI and the New Jersey Attorney’s Office raised the total reward for information leading to her capture to $2 million.

Despite decades of pressure from U.S. authorities to extradite Shakur, Cuba consistently refused, citing her status as a political refugee.

Political Reaction

Shakur’s death closes a long-running chapter in U.S.-Cuba relations. Officials in New Jersey, including the State Police, have expressed deep regret that she died without ever facing accountability for her conviction.

Conversely, Shakur remains an icon of resistance for many activists within the Black liberation and racial justice movements. Her life and writings have served as a symbol of defiance against the U.S. legal system and government policy.