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The Cuban activist and art historian Carolina Barrero reacted enthusiastically to the federal indictment presented this Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice against Raúl Castro, calling the date “the happiest May 20th we have had since the disaster of '59”.
The Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against Raúl Castro for his alleged responsibility in the downing of two civilian aircraft from the organization Hermanos al Rescate on February 24, 1996, resulting in the deaths of four Cuban-Americans: Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
The charges against the former Cuban leader, aged 94 years, include conspiracy to assassinate U.S. citizens, destruction of civil aircraft, and four counts of homicide.
Alongside Castro, five Cuban military personnel were accused: Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, Raúl Simanca Cárdenas, and Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez.
In statements to Noticias Telemundo, Barrero emphasized the symbolic value of the accusation: "There is a clear message that says there will be no more impunity for tyrants, there will be no more impunity for the Castro family."
The activist emphasized that the accusation specifically targets the downing of the planes: "I really appreciate that this case is specifically about the murder, the downing of the planes, because the Castros have always been murderers."
Barrero also placed the case in a broader historical context, recalling the executions of the early years of the revolution: "In the 60s, we still have to count the number of deaths attributable to Fidel Castro. We're talking about tens of thousands, the people who were shot without trial in La Cabaña, on the Isle of Pines, in all the prisons across the island."
For the activist, the charges go beyond the specific case: "Even if these are the ones for which the prosecutor has the evidence, they truly represent all the dead that the Castro family has behind them. They are encapsulated in this accusation."
The accusation comes 30 years after the downing and has mainly symbolic significance, as there is no extradition treaty between Cuba and the United States and Castro is not in U.S. territory.
The president Donald Trump celebrated the indictment as "a great day" for the Cuban-American community, while Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar stated: "Today marks the beginning of the end for the Castro family."
In contrast, Díaz-Canel defended Raúl Castro and described the action as "a political action without legal basis," while Cuba labeled the case of Brothers to the Rescue as a "deception".
May 20 holds immense symbolic significance for the Cuban exile community: it is the date when Cuba proclaimed its republic in 1902, regarded by many as the true Independence Day, in contrast to January 1, 1959, which is celebrated by the regime.
Barrero closed his message with a warning directed at history: "It doesn't matter if I am 94, as if I were 100. Justice must be served because the clear message being sent to history is that there will be no impunity for crimes of this nature, and we Cubans need to close that chapter."
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