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Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, known as "El Cangrejo" and the favorite grandson of Army General Raúl Castro, made an appearance on Friday at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune event, wearing a black Emporio Armani t-shirt, a thick Cuban gold chain around his neck, and what several observers identified as a Rolex Submariner watch.
The event was called by the Cuban regime in support of the former leader following the criminal charges filed on May 20 by the United States Department of Justice, which accuses him of conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens and four counts of homicide for the shooting down of two planes from Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996.
The irony of the moment did not go unnoticed. El Cangrejo disregarded protocol and attended the official event wearing a casual outfit, while Díaz-Canel and the political leaders were dressed in combat uniforms in olive green.
The honoree shone by his absence. Raúl Castro, who will turn 95 years old on June 3, did not attend the event organized in his name, which sparked a wave of mockery on social media.
The Cuban journalist Daniel Benítez went viral on Facebook with the images accompanied by the text: "The smiling crab and the grandfather fleeing American justice... Rolex in hand, Armani shirt, and accompanied... this is how he appeared."
Benítez added: "The dictator's preferred grandson, Raúl Castro, accused of seven criminal charges in the United States, participated in an event of the dictatorship to reaffirm support for his grandfather... who was notably absent. His position is merely to be his grandfather's bodyguard, and it turns out that he also has bodyguards."
El Cangrejo attended accompanied by a young woman wearing dark sunglasses and a striped shirt. He was escorted by his own bodyguards, as seen in the photographs.
Miguel Díaz-Canel did not deliver a speech, limiting himself to posting on social media: “For Cuba and for Raúl, we are at the Anti-Imperialist Forum. Raúl is Raúl.”
The presence of El Cangrejo at the event has a particular significance given his profile. At 41 years old, he holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Ministry of the Interior and has been leading the General Directorate of Personal Security since 2016, the unit responsible for the direct protection of Raúl Castro.
However, his role goes beyond that of a bodyguard. The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, traveled to Havana on May 15 and met with him, the Minister of the Interior, and other high-ranking Cuban officials, in what was described as the first high-level official U.S. visit since the Obama era.
The Crab is excluded from the U.S. sanctions package. from May 8, which reinforces the interpretation that Washington views it as a valid negotiation channel.
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