The Cuban regime has called for open forums throughout the country from this Saturday, May 23, until June 3, the date when Raúl Castro Ruz turns 95 years old, in response to the criminal charges filed by the U.S. Department of Justice against the former leader for the downing of aircraft belonging to Hermanos al Rescate in 1996.
The announcement was disseminated by Canal Caribe. The official media outlet stated that the demonstrations aim to "condemn the despicable and infamous act of the United States Department of Justice against the leader of the Cuban Revolution, and to support the Declaration of the Revolutionary Government."
The announcement comes at one of the worst moments of the internal crisis in Cuba: blackouts lasting over 20 hours a day, a record electricity deficit exceeding 2,000 MW in mid-May, and widespread shortages of food and fuel.
The contrast between the orchestrated political mobilization and the real situation of the population did not go unnoticed: while the regime calls on Cubans to fill the squares in defense of Raúl Castro, millions of citizens are facing power outages that last almost all day.
The accusation that triggered the official response was declassified on May 20 by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche at the Freedom Tower in Miami, and had been approved by a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Florida on April 23.
The charges against Castro, 94 years old, include conspiracy to assassinate American citizens, two charges of aircraft destruction, and four charges of homicide for the deaths of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales, the four members of Brothers to the Rescue who were shot down on February 24, 1996, over international waters of the Florida Straits.
If convicted, Castro would face the death penalty or life imprisonment. However, analysts point out that the case has mainly symbolic significance, as the former dictator has never set foot on American soil and there is no extradition treaty between Cuba and the United States.
The regime's response was immediate and coordinated: Díaz-Canel intensified his rhetorical tone, while the Council of State and the National Assembly issued statements describing the accusation as "infamous, immoral, and illegitimate." The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution and the National Association of Small Farmers joined the official chorus.
The "open tribunals" are a classic political mobilization mechanism of the regime, historically used to project popular unity in the face of external pressures. This time, the call extends over twelve consecutive days and culminates on Raúl Castro's birthday, adding a celebratory element to the official protest act.
Canal Caribe concluded its announcement with a statement that summarizes the official stance: "Cuba will be in its squares to reaffirm that neither threats, nor blockades, nor energy sieges, nor false accusations will be able to bend the will of an entire people in defense of their Revolution."
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