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The Embassy of Cuba in the United States launched a social media campaign on Wednesday called "MythBreakers" to defend the shooting down of two civilian planes from Hermanos al Rescate that occurred on February 24, 1996, describing the case as a "deception" and arguing that Havana exhausted all diplomatic channels before taking action.
The campaign, published on the official account @EmbaCubaUS on the social network X, comes on the eve of reports indicating that the U.S. Department of Justice is scheduled to make an announcement at the Freedom Tower in Miami regarding possible criminal charges against Raúl Castro for the shooting down, on a date rich in symbolism: May 20th, the anniversary of Cuba's independence in 1902.
In its publications, the embassy states that between 1994 and 1996, there were more than 25 violations of Cuban airspace by Brothers to the Rescue, "each formally reported in writing" to the Department of State, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
"No one can claim ignorance," asserts the Cuban diplomatic mission in one of its tweets.
As evidence, the embassy shared an internal FAA memorandum dated January 22, 1996—one month before the shootdown—in which the official Cecilia Capestany warned: "The worst-case scenario is that one day the Cubans shoot down one of these planes, and the FAA better have everything in order."
The document also explicitly mentions José Basulto, founder of Hermanos al Rescate, and reveals that the Under Secretary of State had contacted Secretary of Transportation Peña to inquire about the case.
The embassy also quoted intelligence analyst Dr. Latell, who stated in a 2009 CBS Miami report that "the Cuban government had been protesting the flights for at least 17 or 18 months before the shootdown," and that American diplomats in Havana could see and hear the planes from the diplomatic mission itself.
In another tweet, the embassy argued that no sovereign state is obliged to tolerate "illegal and ongoing incursions" into its territory, and that international law and civil aviation agreements uphold sovereignty over airspace.
However, the Cuban version clashes with the conclusions of international organizations. The ICAO determined in its July 1996 report that the two planes were shot down approximately nine to ten nautical miles outside of Cuban territorial airspace, meaning in international airspace, and that Cuba did not attempt to communicate by radio before opening fire.
In the attack, four people died: Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales, whose bodies were never recovered. A third plane, piloted by Basulto, managed to escape.
The possible accusation against Raúl Castro, 94 years old, would be based on an audio recording from June 1996 in which Castro supposedly orders, "Throw them into the sea when they show up; and do not consult with those who have the authority."
The Florida Attorney General had reopened a criminal investigation into the case in March 2026, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the shootdown, which triggered a new diplomatic offensive by the Cuban regime to counter the narrative before the announcement from the Department of Justice.
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