US-Cuba Relations

US charges Cuba's Raúl Castro with four murders

The US is indicting Cuba's 94-year-old former president Raúl Castro, according to court documents seen by Reuters.

The charges relate to four murders. The documents do not provide more information, but according to information provided to the news agency, the charges relate to the shooting down of a plane belonging to the anti-government human rights group Brothers to the Rescue in 1996. Raúl Castro was defense minister at the time.

Raúl Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as president in 2008 and remained in power for ten years. He is still considered Cuba's most powerful man.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the White House aims to push through a change of government on the island by the end of this year. In March, Donald Trump said that Cuba was "next in line" after Venezuela, according to Reuters. Earlier this year, the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to stand trial in the US.

Cuba's response to Castro indictment: "Superficial and misinformed."

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla calls the indictment against his former president Raúl Castro "superficial and misinformed," reports Reuters.

The current indictment concerns, among other things, the shooting down of two planes belonging to a Cuban exile group, writes TT. The suspicions also concern four murders.

In addition to Raúl Castro, the US has also reportedly indicted other Cubans, reports Reuters. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday urged the Cuban people to demand a new government. Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos F de Cossío responded by accusing Rubio of "shameless lies," all to "justify aggression" against Cuba. 

Democrats want to prevent Trump from entering Cuba

A group of Democratic senators has submitted a resolution to prevent President Donald Trump from intervening militarily in Cuba. Reuters reports.

“Our soldiers should not be put in danger when there is no clear benefit to the United States,” one of them, Tim Kaine of Virginia, told the news agency.

The senators cited Trump’s repeated threats to replace the government in Havana. They wrote that the US military command for Latin America and the Caribbean has sketched out attack plans, even though Cuba poses no threat to the United States.

In April, Senate Republicans opposed a similar resolution, arguing that it was unnecessary since there was no US aggression against Cuba.

Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the CIA is present on the island and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held talks with the communist regime, according to the AP. When asked what happens next, he replied:

“We’ll see.”

US indicts Cuba's Raúl Castro for four murders

The US is indicting Cuba's 94-year-old former president Raúl Castro, according to court documents seen by Reuters.

The indictment concerns four murders. The documents do not provide more information, but according to information provided to the news agency, the indictment concerns the shooting down of an airplane belonging to the anti-government human rights group Brothers to the Rescue in 1996. Raúl Castro was defense minister at the time.

Raúl Castro succeeded his brother Fidel as president in 2008 and remained in power for ten years. He is still considered Cuba's most powerful man.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the White House aims to push through a change of government on the island by the end of this year. In March, Donald Trump said that Cuba was "next in line" after Venezuela, according to Reuters. At the beginning of the year, the United States abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to stand trial in the United States.