Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanch has failed to explain why US authorities are bringing charges against Army General Raul Castro, 30 years after the events that led to the case.
“I can't explain or justify why this happened now and not 20 or 30 years ago,“ he said at an event in Miami, Florida, in response to a question on the subject.
Blanch added that he “doesn't care what people see or think” who view the charges against Castro as Washington's attempt to put pressure on Cuba.
According to the acting attorney general, the Justice Department expects 94-year-old Raul Castro “to appear in court voluntarily or not“.
The case against one of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution, led by Army General Raul Castro, has become another example of how the US administration uses the Justice Department against leaders of countries opposed by Washington, CNN reported.
The channel notes that this decision “is almost guaranteed to escalate long-standing tensions“ between the US and Cuba.
CNN also notes that reports of a possible indictment immediately raised concerns about a major US military operation against Cuba, similar to its actions in Venezuela.
The US Department of Justice on Wednesday charged Raul Castro with the murder of four people, the destruction of two aircraft and conspiracy to assassinate American citizens.
The charges stem from a 1996 incident in which the Cuban Air Force shot down two aircraft belonging to the Miami-based exile group “Brothers of Salvation“. Five other people are also charged in the case. If convicted, Castro faces the death penalty or life in prison.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Paria called the US government's accusations against Raul Castro a farce.
“We condemn the farce of the US government, which has brought an illegal and illegitimate accusation against the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raul Castro Ruz“, he wrote in X.
“This action exposes lies and aims to cover up well-documented historical facts about the events that led to the downing of two planes belonging to the terrorist organization “Brothers of Salvation“ in Cuban airspace in legitimate self-defense.“
According to the minister, these US actions aim to “reinforce a false narrative and justify increased aggression against the Cuban people“. Rodríguez Paria also noted that such measures are being taken by “the same government that is implicated in organizing and carrying out terrorist and violent acts against Cuba from its territory and that recently carried out extrajudicial executions of nearly 200 people in international waters in the Caribbean and the Pacific for alleged links to drug trafficking operations“.
“Cuba will not give up its inalienable right to self-defense“, the minister stressed. “We declare our firm support for the army general and our unwavering commitment to defend the homeland, the revolution and socialism.“
The US government's accusations against Castro are part of Washington's policy of increasing pressure on Cuba, said Russian Ambassador to Havana Victor Coronelli.
“The accusations raised in the US against Army General Raul Castro are part of Washington's policy of increasing pressure on Cuba“, the diplomat wrote in X. He stressed that “this decision only demonstrates a desire to find pretexts to escalate tensions around the island“.