Mariela Castro, daughter of Cuban Army General Raúl Castro, publicly defended her father this Friday following the formal accusation presented by the United States Department of Justice, asserting that no one is going to kidnap her father and that the family is "ready for battle."
The statements were made at the conclusion of an event held in Havana, attended by thousands of people in response to the formal charges against Raúl Castro, announced on Wednesday by the Department of Justice before the District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
«No one is going to kidnap him. I can assure you of that. Neither him nor anyone else,» stated Mariela Castro in front of RT's microphones.
The parliamentarian and director of the National Center for Sex Education (Cenesex) also conveyed the words her father would have said: "No one takes me alive. They will catch me fighting."
He currently described his father as "very calm, observing and smiling," although he clarified that Raúl Castro did not attend the event.
Mariela Castro also stated that her family was, "like all Cuban families, waiting for the order of where we need to go, in any circumstance."
In an openly defiant tone towards Washington, he added: "Here we are prepared to fight against imperialism," and described Cuba as "a small, poor country, but with combat experience against U.S.-led imperialism."
In the event, his brother Alejandro Castro Espín —a high-ranking military official who was involved in the discussions that led to the restoration of diplomatic relations with the United States under the Obama administration— and the grandson of the former president, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as "El Cangrejo," who has served as a liaison in the recent contacts with Washington, also participated.
The charges against Raúl Castro include conspiracy to assassinate American citizens, destruction of civilian aircraft, and four counts of homicide for the deaths of Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales, all four crew members of the Hermanos al Rescate planes shot down on February 24, 1996.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Raúl Castro as a "fugitive" from U.S. justice and, when asked about a potential capture operation, replied: "I'm not going to discuss how we would bring him here," which led to comparisons with the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was brought to U.S. justice in January 2026.
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