According to CCTV News Client, U.S. Attorney General James E. Uscia issued an arrest order against Cuban revolutionary leader Raul Castro on the 19th, citing 'participation in first-degree murder'.
Cuba's President Raul Diaz-Carneil posted a statement on social media that same day condemning this decision, calling it a 'political farce' with electoral undertones, and stating that it has no legal or practical significance.
According to the Associated Press, the arrest order relates to the air strike that occurred on February 24, 1996. At that time, the Cuban military shot down two planes belonging to the Cuban exile organization “Brothers to the Rescue” over U.S. territory, resulting in the death of four people. The U.S. side alleges that Raul Castro, who was then the Minister of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, ordered this operation.
On May 20th this year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a indictment approved by the Southern District of Florida federal grand jury. Raul Castro and five other individuals were charged with murder, complicity in murder of U.S. citizens, and destruction of aircraft, among other charges. Reuters reported that this move was part of the Trump administration’s efforts to increase pressure on Cuba.
Díaz-Canel said that the anti-Gorbachev politicians’ plot against Raul Castro is part of their aggressive ambitions, reflecting their repeated failures in trying to find excuses for the United States' blockade of Cuba and the collective punishment of the Cuban people.
Cuba's Foreign Minister Rodriguez also condemned the arrest order in Florida on social media that day, calling it a 'vain attempt'. It was similar to other trivial and baseless accusations against Cuba, reflecting political corruption and moral degradation.
