US issues arrest warrant for Raúl Castro 30 years after downed aircraft
The United States has announced an arrest warrant against 90-year-old former Cuban president Raúl Castro for the downing of two aircraft in 1996. The measure comes shortly before the midterm elections and reignites debate among Cuban exiles in Florida.
Warrant against Castro ahead of vote
According to Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca, the United States issued an arrest warrant on Monday against Raúl Castro, former Cuban president and brother of Fidel. The charge concerns "conspiracy to commit first-degree murder" for the downing of two aircraft belonging to the Brothers to the Rescue organisation on 24 February 1996, more than 30 years ago.
In the 1996 incident, four people died: American citizens Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, Mario de la Peña and Armando Alejandre Jr. The International Civil Aviation Organization determined that the attack took place in international waters. However, Havana argues that it acted in "self-defence" and "within its own jurisdictional waters".
James Uthmeier, attorney general of Florida, commented at a press conference that "Raúl Castro ordered the cold-blooded killing of four fellow citizens". Uthmeier, a conservative affiliated with the Republican Party, added that the warrant "will limit Castro's ability to leave the island nation and will prevent him from travelling anywhere that has an extradition agreement with the United States". The attorney general noted that he was taking into account Castro's advanced age but expressed confidence in any possible "arrests and transfers".
Political timing
The timing of the announcement coincides with declining poll numbers for the Trump administration. The president records approval ratings at historic lows of 31% ahead of the midterm elections. The measure aims to recover votes in the Latino community, of which 74% disapprove of Trump's policies and 55% declare they will vote "against" him, according to the Pew Research Center.
José Javier Rodríguez, Uthmeier's challenger for the attorney general position, contested the timing and manner of the announcement. "Using a painful tragedy to stage a political show ahead of elections demonstrates how the office of the attorney general is used as a tool for campaign purposes, instead of administering serious justice," he stated.
Reactions among Cuban exiles
The warrant has divided Florida's Cuban community. Mirta Méndez, mother of pilot Carlos Alberto Costa, stated that "seeing the State of Florida and authorities moving together to hold the Cuban regime accountable erases, at least in part, the sense of abandonment we have felt for decades". But among the same anti-Castro exiles, scepticism is not lacking. "How will they arrest him if he's protected by an army? This seems more like propaganda than real justice for the families," commented Camilo López, a resident of Little Havana.
Cuba's objections
Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez described the warrant as "contemptible" and a "pathetic circus with electoral undertones". On X he wrote that it will never "have the slightest legal sense, let alone practical", denouncing a "manoeuvre with a legal façade mounted by anti-Cuban politicians".
Sources in Havana express concerns about the extraterritorial character of the warrant. Interpreters of the agreements could extend it to an extraction operation on the island, along the lines of the CIA raid in Caracas against Nicolás Maduro on 3 January.
Cuba's economic situation
Meanwhile, Cuba is facing a severe economic crisis. GDP will undergo a contraction of 10.3% this year, the worst in the hemisphere. Areas such as Pinar del Río are experiencing blackouts lasting over 90 hours. Domestic production is at a standstill due to the blockade and US embargo, while imports from the United States have increased by 210% compared to the previous year.
Source: Il Fatto Quotidiano - Cronaca