In a dramatic development, American justice indicted former Cuban president Raul Castro on Wednesday, May 20 for his alleged involvement in a 1996 incident where two civilian airplanes were shot down by Fidel Castro supporters.
Raul Castro, 94, along with others, is accused of plotting to assassinate Americans, among other charges, as per a publicly disclosed indictment. Interim Justice Minister Todd Blanche was expected to provide more details on this indictment during a press conference in Miami. Raul Castro was the defense minister at the time of the 1996 incident. Previously, the United States had urged Cubans to choose “a new path”.
In a video message in Spanish to the Cuban population, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused communist leaders of theft, corruption, and repression. “President Trump proposes a new path between the United States and a new Cuba where you truly have the ability to choose who governs your country and vote to replace them if they don’t do a good job,” Rubio stated in a message that resembled a call to insurrection.
U.S. Secretary of State renewed the offer of American aid of $100 million, which would be distributed through charitable organizations. U.S. charge d’affaires in Havana, Mike Hammer, discussed this offer with representatives from the Cuban foreign ministry on Monday, as confirmed by a U.S. official on Tuesday.
Amidst high tensions between Washington and Havana, and an economic and energy crisis in the Caribbean region due to prolonged power cuts from the American oil blockade, Marco Rubio’s call comes as the Trump administration puts maximum pressure on Cuba in hopes of a regime change.
The announcement was made on May 20, historically the day when the Republic of Cuba was proclaimed in 1902 after gaining independence from Spain and the end of American military occupation. The communist government emphasizes other dates like January 1, 1959, as significant in Cuban revolutionary history.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote on Twitter about the significance of May 20 in Cuba’s history. He did not directly refer to Rubio’s message but highlighted the impact of interventions and frustrations on the island.
Apart from the U.S. embargo in place since 1962, Washington has enforced a total oil blockade since January, only allowing one Russian oil tanker to enter. Raul Castro, who succeeded his brother Fidel as Cuba’s president, initiated a historic reconciliation in 2015 with the United States under Barack Obama’s presidency, which was later questioned by Donald Trump.
