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The Republican Senator from Florida Rick Scott published a message this Thursday demanding the fall of the Cuban regime and that Raúl Castro be brought to justice, labeling the government of Havana as a direct threat to the security of Americans.
"Away from our shores by 90 miles, there is a regime that hates us. The communist regime in Cuba is allied with Russia, communist China, Hezbollah, and Iran. Every American will be safer when this illegitimate regime falls, Raúl Castro is brought to justice, and Cuba is free," wrote Scott on his social media account X.
The senator's statements come one week after the Department of Justice declassified a formal indictment against Raúl Castro—aged 94—and five former Cuban military personnel for the downing of two aircraft belonging to Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996, over international waters in the Florida Straits.
The charges include conspiracy to murder American citizens, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder for the deaths of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
The maximum penalties provided include life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Scott was one of the lawmakers who formally pressured the Department of Justice to move forward with the charges.
Along with representatives Carlos Giménez, Mario Díaz-Balart, and María Elvira Salazar, he advocated for the reopening of the investigation in March 2026, a case that had remained unresolved in court for 30 years.
When the formal accusation was announced, the senator described it as "a great day for the people of Cuba and the United States".
Days earlier, on May 20, he stated that Cuba is "the root of instability in Latin America".
Scott's argument about the threat the Cuban regime poses to national security aligns with the official stance of the Trump administration, which in January 2026 declared a national emergency regarding Cuba, citing its ties to Russia, China, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, and pointing out that the island hosts the largest Russian intelligence facility abroad.
The regime responded with a coordinated offensive. Miguel Díaz-Canel described the accusation as a "political action" and declared that "Cuba deserves respect."
The Cuban Parliament issued a statement this Thursday warning about a “real and dangerous threat” of direct military aggression by the United States.
The government also organized open forums across the country between May 23 and June 3 to condemn the formal accusation, which analysts describe as a propaganda mobilization in response to the increasing pressure from Washington.
Scott has hinted in previous statements that change in Cuba may come soon: "I believe it will happen perhaps this year, perhaps next. It is going to happen. We are in the process of it happening right now."
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