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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, June 9th 2026 - 11:32 UTC

Tag: Raúl Castro

  • Wednesday, May 20th 2026 - 18:29 UTC

    United States indicts Raúl Castro over 1996 shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue aircraft

    “If you kill Americans, we will pursue you, no matter who you are, no matter what title you hold, and in this case, no matter how much time has passed,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said

    The US Department of Justice on Wednesday filed formal charges against former Cuban president Raúl Castro and five other Cuban military officers on counts of murder, conspiracy to murder US citizens, and destruction of aircraft, in connection with the shootdown on 24 February 1996 of two civilian planes operated by the anti-Castro organization Brothers to the Rescue. The indictment, approved on 23 April by a grand jury of the Southern District of Florida, was unveiled at the Freedom Tower in Miami on the same day the Cuban diaspora commemorates Independence Day, a date the Havana regime does not celebrate. It is the first time in nearly 70 years that a senior leader of the Cuban regime has faced criminal charges in the United States over events that resulted in the deaths of US citizens.

  • Friday, May 15th 2026 - 05:08 UTC

    Washington considers prosecuting Raúl Castro over 1996 shootdown of civilian planes

    The incident that would underpin the indictment took place on 24 February 1996

    The US government is weighing a federal indictment against former Cuban president Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the humanitarian organization Brothers to the Rescue, the CBS network and the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday, citing official sources. The potential charges, which still require grand jury approval, emerge on a day marked by escalating tensions between Washington and Havana and by a confidential visit to the Cuban capital by CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

  • Wednesday, February 18th 2026 - 12:04 UTC

    Marco Rubio holds discreet contacts with Raúl Castro’s grandson, Axios reports

    It remains unclear whether the back-channel will evolve into a formal process or concrete measures

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held discreet talks with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the grandson and caretaker of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, bypassing official Cuban government channels, Axios reported, citing sources familiar with the outreach.

  • Friday, April 21st 2023 - 10:05 UTC

    Lavrov strengthens Moscow's ties with Havanna

    Raúl Castro (left) also met with Díaz-Canel (center) and the Russian dignitary (right)

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Thursday told Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel that Moscow continued to reject the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by Washington on Havanna. The Russian diplomat also met with former President Raúl Castro and with his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla during the last stop of his Latin America and Caribbean tour which included Brazil, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.

  • Saturday, April 17th 2021 - 11:55 UTC

    Raúl Castro in favor of dialogue with US in one of his last appearances as Communist Party leader

    Raúl Castro admits changes are needed but wants to defend socialism nonetheless

    Iconic Cuban Revolution leader Raúl Castro Friday opened the Cuban Communist Party convention which will mark the end of his days as First Secretary by making it clear nobody had forced him to make that decision and he supported a closer dialogue with giant neighbours the United States.

  • Friday, April 16th 2021 - 08:09 UTC

    Raúl Castro to step down as leader of Cuba's Communist Party

    Raúl Castro said in 2018 he wanted Díaz-Canel to be his successor as party leader.

    Iconic leader Raúl Castro is expected to step down as First Secretary of Cuba's Communist Party (PCC) as the VIII Congress of the PCC is set to start this Friday at the Havana Convention Center, under the title “The Congress of the historical continuity of the Cuban Revolution.”

  • Friday, September 27th 2019 - 09:53 UTC

    Raul Castro and family barred from visiting US; Fidel's brother accused of human rights violations

    The sanctions mean that the former president - brother of late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro - will be ineligible for travel to the United States

    The United States on Thursday announced travel sanctions against Cuba's Raul Castro and his family, accusing the former president of violations of human rights. In his continued role as the first secretary of the ruling Communist Party, “Raul Castro oversees a system that arbitrarily detains thousands of Cubans and currently holds more than 100 political prisoners,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.

  • Saturday, September 14th 2019 - 12:08 UTC

    Cuban King censor exposed to some of his own medicine by Twitter

    Cuban officials have accused Twitter of mass censorship. Critics of the government say this is ironic, coming from a one-party state which itself practices censorship

    Twitter has restored some of the accounts of Cuban state-run media, journalists and government officials it had blocked on Wednesday, although others like that of Communist Party leader Raul Castro remain suspended.

  • Thursday, June 27th 2019 - 09:49 UTC

    Former intelligence chief claims Maduro is head of criminal enterprise looting Venezuela

    Christepher Figuera told the Post that members of Maduro's family and his government were engaged in money laundering and corruption

    Venezuela's former intelligence chief, Cristopher Figuera, who fled the country after backing a failed uprising against President Nicolas Maduro in April, has told the Washington Post the regime could still fall.

  • Thursday, April 11th 2019 - 09:30 UTC

    Cuba ratifies support for its ally Venezuela, “despite US blackmail”

    “We will never abandon our duty of acting in solidarity with Venezuela,” Castro said. “We reject strongly all types of blackmail.”

    Cuban Communist Party leader Raul Castro said on Wednesday Cuba would never abandon its ally Venezuela despite US “blackmail”, even as the Trump administration threatened more sanctions over its support.

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