The United States government reaffirmed this Monday its demand for justice for the downing of the planes belonging to Hermanos al Rescate, marking the 30th anniversary of the attack in which four civilian pilots lost their lives in the Florida Strait.
“Thirty years ago, the illegitimate Cuban regime deliberately shot down the unarmed aircraft of Brothers to the Rescue. The murder of these four humanitarian pilots —Mario de la Peña, Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales, and Armando Alejandre Jr.— will never be forgotten. We continue to push for justice for this barbaric act of terrorism,” stated the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the Department of State in a message posted on X.
On February 24, 1996, two civil Cessna aircraft were intercepted and destroyed by Cuban Air Force jets while conducting search operations for rafters. The aircraft were unarmed and were involved in humanitarian missions organized by the Miami-based group.
The victims were Mario de la Peña (24 years old), Carlos Costa (30), Armando Alejandre Jr. (45), U.S. citizens, and Pablo Morales (30), a permanent resident of the United States. Their bodies were never recovered.
In South Florida, Cuban-American congress members and family members of the victims reiterated their demand for Raúl Castro, who in 1996 was the Minister of Armed Forces, to face justice in the United States for his alleged responsibility in the order to shoot down.
"We have asked the Administration, the president, and the attorney general to review the facts and, if they find — as we know they will — the evidence, to prosecute those who ordered the cold-blooded murder of these individuals," stated Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart to local media.
Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar stated on X that the four pilots were "deliberately murdered in international airspace by the Cuban regime," while Carlos A. Giménez pointed out that they continue to "demand the prosecution of dictator Raúl Castro" as part of a struggle for "freedom and justice."
The claim coincides with a context of increased pressure from Washington on Havana under the administration of President Donald Trump, who has reiterated his firm stance against the Cuban regime and its history of human rights violations.
For the families, the anniversary is not just a commemorative date but a reminder of an open wound. Thirty years later, they insist that the case must not go unpunished and that the memory of the four pilots will continue to be a symbol of the fight for justice.
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