US charges Raúl Castro with murder over 1996 plane downings
What's the story
The United States has charged former Cuban President and brother of Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro, with conspiracy to kill US nationals and other offenses over the 1996 downing of two planes. The planes belonging to Florida-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue were shot down between Cuba and Florida, killing four people, including three Americans. The charges were announced by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said "the United States, and President Trump, does not...will not, forget its citizens."
Detailed allegations
Charges include destruction of aircraft and murder
Blanche did not confirm whether the US would try to capture Castro but said, "we expect he will show up here, by his own will or another way." The charges against Castro, who was then head of Cuba's armed forces, include destruction of aircraft and four counts of murder. The murder charges carry a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment. Cuba President Miguel Díaz-Canel has called the charges "a political maneuver, devoid of any legal foundation."
Political strategy
US pressure on Cuba for political, economic reforms
The new charges target a prominent figure in Cuba's communist leadership amid intense US pressure for political and economic reforms. According to the BBC, William LeoGrande, a Latin American politics expert at American University, suggested that the strategy is to gradually increase pressure on the Cuban government to negotiate. The US has already imposed sanctions on Cuba and blocked oil supplies, leading to blackouts and food shortages.
Accusations against GAESA
Secretary of State Rubio blames Cuban military-run conglomerate GAESA
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed the Cuban military-run conglomerate GAESA for the country's blackouts and food shortages. GAESA owns or operates the majority of the Cuban economy's most profitable sectors, including ports, gas stations, and luxury hotels. In a message to the Cuban people, Rubio said President Trump is offering "a new path between the US and a new Cuba."
Counterclaims
Diaz-Canel accuses US of lying, calls charges politically motivated
In response, Diaz-Canel accused the US of lying and imposing collective punishment on the Cuban people. He claimed that Cuba acted in "legitimate self-defense within its jurisdictional waters." "This is a political maneuver, devoid of any legal foundation, aimed solely at padding the fabricated dossier they use to justify the folly of...military aggression against Cuba." According to the case built by US authorities, the Cuban government fired on the aircraft as it was conducting a humanitarian operation in Cuban waters.
Public response
Indictment of Castro receives mixed reactions
However, the Cuban government has consistently maintained that the operations were legal and intended to protect Cuban airspace. It has also been argued that Brothers to the Rescue founder Jose Basulto was a CIA operative and member of an anti-Castro group that engaged in numerous acts of violence. It remains unclear whether Castro will ever stand trial since Cuba does not extradite people to the US. Castro was Cuba's president from 2008-2018, and the Communist Party's top official from 2011-2021.