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The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo issued an official statement yesterday expressing its unconditional support for Raúl Castro and the Cuban leadership, just one day after the United States Department of Justice declassified a formal charge against the former Cuban leader for the downing of two civilian aircraft from Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.
The document, titled "Cuba, Power of the Common Good" and signed from Managua on May 21, was issued on behalf of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and was also disseminated through the portal of embassies and consulates of the Cuban regime.
In the text, Ortega and Murillo expressed to Raúl Castro "firm, consistent, and consequential Brotherhood and Solidarity," and reaffirmed Fidel Castro as "Eternal Leader."
The statement directly condemns the U.S. accusation: "We strongly condemn the disrespect that violates all the Principles and Values of the United Nations," wrote the Nicaraguan leaders in reference to the charges brought by Washington.
Ortega and Murillo described the current moment as "extremely dangerous and detrimental to the Peoples who have fought so hard for our Sovereignty, Dignity, and Rights," and concluded the document with the phrase "Raúl and Fidel, Leaders of Heroic and Victorious Peoples."
The trigger for the statement is the formal charges against Raúl Castro declassified last Wednesday by the Department of Justice, which accuses him of having authorized the use of lethal force against civilian aircraft while he was the Minister of the Armed Forces.
The charges, approved by a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Florida on April 23, include conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of homicide for the deaths of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales, all Cuban Americans.
The charges brought may carry the death penalty or life imprisonment.
The support from Managua comes amidst increasing pressure from Washington on the Sandinista regime: in April, the U.S. launched its most extensive sanctions campaign against Nicaragua to date, which included the designation of two children of Ortega and Murillo and seven companies in the gold sector.
At the same time, Nicaragua deepened its approach to Russia in May 2026, signing eight new agreements in areas of security, criminal cooperation, extradition, and intelligence, consolidating its alignment with the axis of authoritarian regimes.
In Cuba, the regime of Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly justified the downing of 1996 and mobilized public transportation for a show of support for Raúl Castro held this Friday, while the Cuban-American community and U.S. lawmakers celebrated the indictment as a historic step toward justice for the four victims of the downing.
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