Former Cuban President Raúl Castro made a rare public appearance on Friday during a tribute ceremony marking his 95th birthday, his first known appearance since the United States announced an indictment against him on May 20 over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft in international waters.
The event took place in Havana at the Karl Marx Theater and came amid heightened tensions between Cuba and the United States following new sanctions announced by Washington targeting Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, members of his political family, and entities including the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.
During the ceremony, President Díaz-Canel praised Raúl Castro, describing him as a central national figure during what he called a period of severe national pressure. He said Cuba was facing critical conditions, attributing them to intensified U.S. sanctions and a long-standing blockade that he said has deepened economic strain on the island.
Díaz-Canel stated that Cuba had received only one fuel shipment in the first five months of the year out of approximately 40 requested, and criticized a U.S. executive order issued in May that he said introduced additional sanctions, restrictions, and penalties on companies, banks, institutions, and individuals engaging with Cuba. He characterized these measures as contributing to severe limitations on daily life in the country.
The Cuban president described the broader impact of U.S. policies as deeply damaging and said they amounted to what he called an act of genocide due to their effects on the population’s living conditions.
Referring to Raúl Castro during the tribute, Díaz-Canel said, “Raúl is Cuba, and Cuba is untouchable,” adding that the country would remain resilient as long as its citizens continued to defend it. He also emphasized a message of national unity and resistance in the face of external pressure.
On the legal front, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on May 20 that it had filed charges against Raúl Castro, along with five other Cuban military officials, in connection with the 1996 incident involving the downing of two aircraft operated by the anti-Castro group Brothers to the Rescue. The charges, filed in the Southern District of Florida, include murder, conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens, and destruction of an aircraft.
The Cuban government has rejected the U.S. indictment and related sanctions, portraying them as politically motivated actions linked to broader efforts to increase pressure on Havana.
Díaz-Canel concluded his remarks by calling for dialogue and peaceful relations, stating that Cuba seeks a framework of mutual respect with the United States despite ongoing political differences, and reiterated that the country does not seek confrontation.
