This Friday, the Anti-Imperialist Tribunal in Havana will be the site of a popular demonstration rejecting the indictment filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against Army General Raúl Castro Ruz for the downing of a Brothers to the Rescue plane in 1996.
The indictment, formalized Wednesday in Miami, alleges that Raul Castro was responsible for the deaths of four crew members, three of them U.S. citizens, during the incident in Cuban airspace. Cuban authorities have described the indictment as a political provocation lacking legitimacy and jurisdiction.
The news generated a swift response from political and social organizations in Cuba. The Union of Young Communists, the Federation of University Students, and the José Martí Pioneer Organization, among others, called for a gathering this Friday at the grandstand to condemn the accusation and reaffirm the Cuban people’s will to not be broken.
The demonstration coincides with the upcoming 95th anniversary of Raúl Castro’s birth, adding symbolic significance to the day. Raul was born on June 3, 1931, in eastern Cuba.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed his rejection of the accusation in a post on the X network, stating that “the purported accusation against Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, just announced by the U.S. government, only demonstrates the arrogance and frustration felt by the representatives of the empire in the face of the Cuban Revolution’s unwavering resolve and the unity and moral strength of its leadership.”
For his part, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla described the action as a “farce” intended to distort the reality of the country and reiterated that Cuba will not renounce its legitimate right to self-defense.
The accusation is part of a narrative promoted by the US administration, which seeks to intensify bilateral sanctions and deepen tensions in relations with Cuba.
IMAGE CREDIT: The accusation against the Army General generated a swift response from political and social organizations in Cuba. Photo: Adelante/Archive
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
