Cuba Celebrates Raul Castro After the U.S. Accuses Him of Murder

Raul Castro was indicted in Miami on four counts of murder for the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft in international airspace north of Cuba. The Cuban government and state-run media responded by coordinating social media posts that presented him as a revered elder statesman, sharing images of his youth as a soldier, interactions with children and teenagers, and moments with Fidel Castro. President Miguel Diaz-Canel posted a video on X calling him like a father. Officials praised his honor and integrity. Experts said the indictment could be intended to pressure Cuba under the Trump administration, but it could also motivate Cuban officials to resist and dig in.

"A day after Raul Castro, the Cuban government's revolutionary hero and former president, was indicted in Miami for murder, officials and state-run media closed ranks, turning to social media to project an image of a nation rallying around a revered elder statesman. An avalanche of posts from state-run newspapers and high-ranking Cuban government officials showed photographs of Mr. Castro as a young soldier, greeting children, chuckling with his brother Fidel, waving the Cuban flag and meeting outdoors with teenagers. The posts included gushing messages about his honor and integrity."

"Mr. Castro, who turns 95 in two weeks, was indicted Wednesday on four counts of murder for the shooting down in 1996 of two civilian aircraft that were in international airspace just north of the island. The charges levied by the United States are a major late-life test for the former guerrilla who served as defense minister for nearly 50 years. Although he is no longer head of state or leader of the armed forces, Mr. Castro remains a key figure in Cuba who wields considerable power."

"While the indictment was likely aimed at forcing Cuba's government to buckle under pressure from the Trump administration, the criminal charges against Mr. Castro could also serve as a rallying cry that makes the country's officials dig in and resist any pressure from the United States, experts said. Cubans in Havana watching news coverage of the U.S. indictment of Mr. Castro on Wednesday."

"He's like a father to me, Cuba's president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, said in a video posted on X. An avalanche of posts from state-run newspapers and high-ranking Cuban government officials showed photographs of Mr. Castro as a young soldier, greeting children, chuckling with his brother Fidel, waving the Cuban flag and meeting outdoors with teenagers. The posts included gushing messages about his honor and integrity."

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