Havana Rally Protests U.S. Indictment of Former Leader Raul Castro

On Friday, May 22, 2026, thousands of Cubans assembled before the United States embassy on Havana’s waterfront to denounce a U.S. decision to charge former president Raul Castro with murder. The rally, organized by pro-government groups, began shortly after sunrise and was attended by President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero. Castro, 94, did not appear.

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The indictment relates to the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft operated by the humanitarian organization Brothers to the Rescue. At the time, Castro served as Cuba’s defense minister. Two Cuban MiG-21 fighters intercepted the planes in international airspace, resulting in four fatalities, including three American citizens.

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• Raul Castro – former president, former defense minister, brother of Fidel Castro, now 94 years old.

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• Miguel Diaz-Canel – President of Cuba, present at the Havana rally.

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• Manuel Marrero – Prime Minister of Cuba, also present at the rally.

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• U.S. Department of Justice – announced the indictment during a press conference in Miami.

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• Year of incident: 1996 (30 years prior).

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• Aircraft downed: 2 civilian planes.

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• Fatalities: 4 (3 Americans).

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• Age of indicted individual: 94 years.

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• Demonstrators in Havana: “thousands” (exact number not specified).

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Cuban officials characterized the indictment as unfounded, describing it as based on “spurious” allegations intended to create a pretext for invasion, and linked it to a broader U.S. policy aimed at destabilizing the island’s government, noting it came amid a Trump administration push to upend the island’s government. United States, through Department of Justice, framed the charges as a pursuit of accountability for 1996 killings, announcing the indictment at a memorial ceremony for victims in Miami.

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U.S. authorities allege that Castro, then defense minister, was involved in the decision to order the intercept, justifying murder charges. Cuban leaders reject this narrative, arguing that the indictment is a pretext for invasion. No additional dissenting voices were reported in the source material.

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• “Four people, three of them Americans, were killed when two Cuban MiG fighter jets attacked the planes in international airspace while Castro was defense minister.” — Reuters

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• “The announcement of the indictment was made at a press conference in Miami during a memorial ceremony for the victims.” — Reuters

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• “Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the American Embassy in Havana to protest the decision to file an indictment against former Cuban leader Raul Castro.” — Reuters

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The sources do not provide further details on any upcoming legal or diplomatic actions related to the indictment.

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