The Florida Attorney General announced the reopening of a criminal investigation related to the shootdown of the planes belonging to the organization Brothers to the Rescue, which took place in 1996 when Cuban Air Force aircraft attacked two civilian planes in the Florida straits.
James Uthmeier, Florida's Attorney General, confirmed the decision during statements to reporters, in which he explained that the case was reopened following the recent 30th anniversary of the tragedy, which could lead to formal charges against Raúl Castro.
“It was a terrible tragedy where the planes of Brothers to the Rescue were shot down by the Cuban government. I don’t believe that is up for debate,” Uthmeier stated.
According to the explanation, years ago a state-level investigation had been opened to examine possible crimes related to the case that could affect citizens of Florida.
However, the official noted that during President Joe Biden's administration, the process was halted and did not continue to advance.
"When this came to my attention, we reactivated the case. So yes, that investigation will continue," stated the Attorney General.
Uthmeier added that there is currently a close working relationship between the authorities in Florida and the federal government of the United States, which will allow for coordinated efforts in the investigation.
The official stated that the authorities will seek to determine accountability if it is confirmed that citizens of Florida were victims of crimes under state or federal laws.
"I can't say much more at this moment, but we will continue that investigation," he said.
The shooting down of the aircraft belonging to Brothers to the Rescue occurred on February 24, 1996, when Cuban fighter planes attacked two civilian aircraft from the organization based in Miami, resulting in the deaths of four Cuban-American activists.
Recently, 30 years after the downing of the aircraft from Brothers to the Rescue, the Cuban exile community in Miami has once again raised a demand that has defined the relationship between Cuba and the United States for decades: that Raúl Castro be prosecuted for the murder of four crew members.
In a commemorative event held in South Florida, several Cuban-American congress members joined the families of the victims to remember the attack that occurred on February 24, 1996.
Lawyer Willy Allen finds it unlikely that the U.S. will prosecute Raúl Castro for the shooting down of Brothers to the Rescue
Florida attorney Willy Allen recently explained to CiberCuba that it is possible to file a case against Raúl Castro in the United States for the shooting down of the Brothers to the Rescue planes in international waters north of Havana on February 24, 1996.
From those events, which led to a condemnation of the Cuban regime by the UN, and a possible legal process, Allen admits that, in his opinion, "that is not going to happen."
"I suspect it's going to be very difficult," said the lawyer, who clarified that he would like the leaders of the Cuban regime to be dragged through the streets and hanged upside down, as happened to 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 with blood" for opposing Fidel Castro's regime, share that sentiment, although he admitted that this scenario will probably remain as their “fantasies and dreams.”
Allen argues that if any type of negotiation were to take place with the Cuban regime, something he believes is already happening, part of the current structure of power would remain during a transition process whose timeline he considers uncertain.
Nevertheless, he assured that this political change is closer than it was in the 1990s, evoking the well-known song by Willy Chirino, "Ya viene llegando."
So I do believe something is going to happen. But I don't think we're going to see, for the moment, them putting Raúl on a plane and taking him to keep Maduro company, in New York, in a jail.
"I don't think we will see any of the generals involved in the assassination of the pilots and crew members of Hermanos de Rescate, even though four people died: three American citizens and one resident," Allen added.
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