Military personnel, police, and public workers began to gather this Friday at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune in Havana, in an official mobilization called by the regime in direct response to the federal criminal charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against Raúl Castro.
The event, scheduled for 7:30 in the morning in front of the U.S. Embassy on the Havana Malecón, was called by the Union of Young Communists, mass organizations, student groups, and youth movements under the slogan "The Homeland is Defended."
The account on X of the Cira García Clinic, which shared images of the gathering, described the scene with the official message: "The Antimperialist Tribune is already filling with the people because #TheHomelandIsDefended. #RaúlIsRaúl."
However, the same profile added a critical observation: "The Cuban regime responds to the accusation against Raúl Castro with an official mobilization of military personnel, police, and public workers. I have lost count of the number of events of this nature taking place in 2026."
The forced nature of the call became evident with the leak of an internal document from the Electric Company of Havana. The so-called "Indication No. 10", signed by General Director Yusmel Gómez Ramírez, ordered the mobilization of 971 workers distributed in quotas among 41 business units, with transportation provided from 5:00 am and the required clothing colors: blue, white, and red.
The document also stated that "the established dress codes of the company must be respected, avoiding the use of inappropriate clothing and/or clothing with unsuitable advertising."
During the day, only employees on a 24-hour shift and the Electric Guard would be working, which means that the regular work schedule is suspended for the rest of the staff.
The event responds to the federal criminal charges filed on May 20 at the Freedom Tower in Miami, which accuse Raúl Castro of conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens, four individual counts of murder, and two counts of aircraft destruction, all related to the downing of two planes from the organization Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996, in which Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales lost their lives.
The official reaction was immediate and coordinated. Miguel Díaz-Canel described the accusation as "a political action, without any legal basis," while the Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz referred to it as a "farce." This Friday, the Cuban State Council and Parliament issued statements in defense of the former leader.
The regime also turned workplaces into acts of support for Raúl Castro, replicating a pattern that has been documented in numerous state enterprises across the country throughout 2026.
This is not the first time that the UNE has mobilized its workers for political purposes: in October 2025, the company had already sent its employees to march in support of Nicolás Maduro while Cuba was experiencing blackouts of up to twenty hours a day.
Analysts consider the accusation primarily symbolic, given that Raúl Castro is 94 years old, has never set foot on American soil, and there is no extradition treaty between Cuba and the United States. The Brigade 2506 declared, however, that prosecuting Raúl Castro "is just the first step."
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