95-Year-Old Former Cuban Leader Indicted: Death Penalty on the Table

Translation resultThe U.S. Department of Justice has indicted 95-year-old former Cuban president Raúl Castro on charges tied to the 1996 shootdown of two aircraft operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an attack that killed four people. The move comes as former President Donald Trump steps up pressure for regime change in Havana, though legal experts say Castro’s appearance in a U.S. courtroom is unlikely.On April 20 (local time), Reuters reported that the DOJ charged Castro over the incident in which the Cuban military shot down two planes flown by the exile group. Castro was Cuba’s defense minister at the time. The Justice Department says a conviction could carry penalties up to life imprisonment or the death penalty.Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters at a Miami news conference that “Raúl Castro will appear in a U.S. courtroom, whether voluntarily or by other means,” suggesting authorities could pursue his transfer to the United States — a step reminiscent of U.S. pressure in other high-profile Latin American cases, including actions involving Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.The indictment arrives as President Trump has renewed a public campaign against the Cuban government. On Cuba’s Independence Day, Trump warned the United States would not tolerate “rogue states,” accusing the Cuban regime of betraying the patriots who founded the nation, trampling political freedoms, and wrecking the economy. He argued the U.S. cannot tolerate hostile foreign militaries, intelligence services, or terrorist groups operating just 90 miles (about 145 km) from the mainland.Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio also sharply criticized Havana in a five-minute video message, saying widespread power outages are not the result of U.S. energy sanctions but of corruption: “Those who control your country have siphoned off tens of billions of dollars (approximately tens of trillions of KRW), and none of it has been used for the people,” he said.Washington has imposed heavy sanctions on countries that supply fuel to Cuba, effectively tightening the island’s isolation. The Cuban government says the country is experiencing widespread blackouts and the worst economic crisis in decades.Analysts say U.S. authorities are unlikely to secure custody of a man approaching 100 years old and try him in an American prison. Still, many observers view the indictment as a deliberate tactical move: Castro remains widely regarded as the real power behind Cuba’s government. Although Miguel Díaz-Canel is the nominal head of state, Raúl Castro continues to exert substantial influence over the party and the country’s political and economic elites.Havana has strongly denounced the charges. President Díaz-Canel accused the United States of distorting and fabricating the 1996 incident to level politically motivated charges against Castro, calling the indictment a pretext intended to justify reckless military aggression toward Cuba.