Iliana Lavastida, executive director of Diario Las Américas, stated this Tuesday that the headline she published on Monday night remains unchanged: "We are evaluating military options towards Cuba or against Cuba, and they could happen at any moment," and she says she will not change it until she has evidence to the contrary.
Lavastida made these statements in an interview with Tania Costa, in CiberCuba, amidst the convergence of three high-impact news stories: the report from 'Politico' on Monday, revealing that the Trump Administration is evaluating military options against Cuba; the remarks from the U.S. president about a possible diplomatic route, and the announcement of the federal indictment of Raúl Castro, which is scheduled to be announced this Wednesday at the Freedom Tower in Miami, at 2:00 PM.
"With Cuba, practice is showing us that things are one way today and tomorrow they can be different, or in 10 minutes they can change," warned Lavastida, who was born in Cuba and has lived in Miami since 2004.
In that regard, he argued that the announcements from Trump and Marco Rubio, although differing in tone, are complementary, and that the toughest signal —the military one— is the one that predominates in his editorial perspective.
Trump stated this Tuesday that it is possible to reach a diplomatic agreement with Cuba even without a regime change, describing the island as a place where "they cannot turn on the lights or eat."
Rubio, on the other hand, expressed skepticism towards Fox News and stated that he does not believe they can "change the course of Cuba while these people are in charge."
For Lavastida, both positions are not contradictory. "I do believe that the United States' stance toward Cuba at this moment is a strong position, one that is aware of what exists there, and if there is any kind of diplomatic negotiation, it is because the regime must have conceded something; otherwise, I am sure that a diplomatic option would not be on the table."
Regarding the prosecution of Raúl Castro, the director of Diario Las Américas described it as "a loud outcry in exile" and recalled that the four victims of the plane shootdown —Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, Carlos Costa, and Pablo Morales— were engaged in humanitarian work: "They would fly in civilian planes to spot people trying to escape Cuba in boats, rafts, and makeshift vessels... and when they spotted them, they would reach out with water and alert the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue them. In other words, they were saving lives, and that was the price Cuba paid for that humanitarian work."
The shootdown took place on February 24, 1996 over international waters. There is a recording of Raúl Castro from June of that year in which he orders: "Shoot them down over the sea when they appear; and do not consult those who have the authority."
Lavastida emphasized that the event this Wednesday at the Tower of Freedom goes beyond the symbolic. "The announcement of the prosecution of Raúl Castro will be made by the U.S. Department of Justice. It will not be done by just anyone." He added that, from a legal standpoint, "it is a crime that does not prescribe because it is considered a crime against humanity. That is still in effect."
The announcement is scheduled for this wednesday, May 20, which marks the 124th anniversary of the Republic of Cuba, adding an additional symbolic weight to the event called by the Department of Justice of the United States.
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