Florida lawyer Willy Allen explained this Monday, in statements to CiberCuba, that it is possible to file a case against Raúl Castro in the United States for the downing of the Brothers to the Rescue planes, in international waters north of Havana, on February 24, 1996. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of these events, which resulted in a condemnation of the Cuban regime by the UN, Allen admits that, in his opinion, "that is not going to happen."
"I suspect it will be very difficult", said the lawyer, who clarified that he would like to see the leaders of the Cuban regime dragged through the streets and hanged upside down, as happened with Benito Mussolini in Italy after World War II. He also stated that many Cubans, especially those of his generation, whose parents lost everything or "paid in blood" for opposing Fidel Castro's regime, share that sentiment, although he admitted that this scenario will likely remain just their “fantasies and dreams.”
Allen argues that if any type of negotiations were to occur with the Cuban regime, something he believes is already happening, part of the current power structure would remain during a transitional process whose timeline he considers uncertain. However, he stated that this political change is closer than in the 1990s, evoking the well-known song by Willy Chirino, "Ya viene llegando."
"So I truly believe that something is going to happen. But I don't think we will, for now, see them put Raúl on a plane and take him to keep Maduro company in New York, in prison. I don't believe we will see any of the generals involved in the assassination of the pilots and crew of Hermanos de Rescate, despite the fact that four people died: three American citizens and one resident," added Allen.
In response to CiberCuba's question about whether it is possible to prosecute Raúl Castro in the United States due to alleged ongoing conversations, or whether legal proceedings could be initiated against him, the lawyer answered emphatically: "The reality is: Could it legally happen? Of course, it could legally happen, but I sadly believe it will not happen."
In this regard, he pointed out that in the U.S. system, a prosecutor can present charges to a federal grand jury with relative ease, citing the familiar expression that one can "indict a cheese sandwich," although that does not mean the case will succeed in court. Regarding Raúl Castro, he noted that even recent attempts to prosecute high-profile figures did not progress because the grand juries did not support the formal charges.
Willy Allen also emphasized that his main interest is to have serious negotiations in which the Cuban regime commits, at the very least, to an economic opening. He considered it unlikely that the dictatorship would agree to political changes at this time, but insisted that it should allow and guarantee investments from the United States and other countries.
In that context, he recalled the words of former President Barack Obama during his visit to Havana, when he stated that to prove the success of Cubans, one only needed to look 90 miles north, not just at Key West, but at Miami, as an example of the potential of the diaspora.
Allen concluded that the Cuban regime would have to accept a profound economic opening, make at least a verbal commitment to future change, and, immediately, release the political prisoners still incarcerated on the island.
Filed under: