Khaberni - The U.S. judiciary on Wednesday charged former Cuban president Raul Castro (94 years old) for the downing of two civilian planes in 1996, which were flown by pilots opposed to his late brother, leader Fidel Castro.
In the announced indictment, Raul Castro and others are accused of conspiring to kill Americans, among other charges.
U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanch asserted that charging Castro demonstrates that the United States "does not forget" its citizens.
He said at a press conference, "My message today is clear: the United States and President Trump do not forget and will not forget their citizens."
Havana rejected these charges.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, via X, said that the American decision is "a political step with no legal basis."
He saw these accusations as aiming to "add more to the file they concoct to justify a military aggression against Cuba."
Charging Castro marks a turning point in the worsening crisis between the United States and Cuba, at a time when the island is suffering from frequent power outages due to the blockade imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on fuel.
Trump has repeatedly hinted at his desire to overthrow the Cuban communist government.
In 2015, Raul Castro oversaw a historic rapprochement with the United States during Barack Obama's term, although Trump has returned tension to the relations between Washington and Havana, which is under a U.S. blockade.
