Raúl Castro made an appearance this Friday at the Karl Marx Theater in Havana to participate in the tribute for his 95th birthday and the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Ministry of the Interior (MININT), in his most prominent public reappearance so far this year, just two weeks after the U.S. Department of Justice formally charged him for the downing of two planes from Brothers to the Rescue in 1996.
The announcement comes at a time of heightened tension between Havana and Washington. On May 20, the U.S. Department of Justice filed formal charges against Raúl Castro with seven counts: conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens, four counts of homicide, and two counts of destruction of aircraft, related to the downing on February 24, 1996, in which four Cuban-Americans were killed: Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
The day before the event, on June 4, Washington also announced new sanctions against Miguel Díaz-Canel and relatives of Raúl Castro, in an escalation of pressure that the Cuban regime responded to with a propaganda display of the event at the Karl Marx.
The president Díaz-Canel took advantage of his central speech to defend the nonagenarian ex-dictator with direct references to the U.S. indictment. "Neither enemy campaigns nor false accusations diminish his long record of service to the homeland," stated the leader, who also declared, "Raúl is Raúl, the people say in all forums," and "Raúl is Cuba, and Cuba is untouchable."
Díaz-Canel described Castro as a "moral shield" and pointed out that "his courage and loyalty made him a target for enemy intelligence services and the mercenaries trained and funded by them" during a speech that blended praise for the honoree with warnings directed at the United States.
The leader also addressed Washington directly: "Cuba wants peace. Cuba does not provoke, does not attack, nor does it challenge. We continue to bet on an atmosphere of understanding with the United States based on mutual respect." However, he added: "If the homeland is attacked, we will respond in legitimate defense. And if they attempt to enter, let there be no doubt, there will be a determined and firm fight."
In the ceremony, the Minister of the Interior, Army Corps General Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, read a message written by Raúl addressed to the fighters of MININT. In it, Castro congratulated them "with profound pride" and described the members of the institution as "an essential bulwark in the defense of the sovereignty and tranquility of the Cuban nation."
The Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), Álvaro López Miera, delivered to MININT the replica of the machete of Major General Antonio Maceo as an institutional recognition. Díaz-Canel also highlighted the heroism of the 32 Cubans who fell fighting in Venezuela and acknowledged the nonagenarian commander Ramiro Valdés Menéndez as the founding chief of MININT.
The cultural gala, held in a theater Karl Marx filled with MININT officials, featured the participation of five-time Olympic champion Mijaín López, who dedicated his sports legacy to Raúl Castro in a gesture that, according to the broadcast by Canal Caribe, visibly moved the Army General.
This is one of Raúl Castro's most notable public appearances in 2026, a year in which he had already resurfaced in January during the reception of the remains of Cuban soldiers who died in Venezuela, and on May 1 at the Anti-Imperialist Tribunal, where he was described as visibly diminished. Although he ceded the presidency to Díaz-Canel in 2018, and three years later the top position in the PCC, the state media continues to present him as the "leader of the Cuban Revolution."
The accusation filed in the Federal Court for the Southern District of Florida currently has mainly symbolic significance, given that Cuba does not maintain an extradition mechanism with the United States. However, it represents the most serious legal step taken by Washington against the former Cuban dictator, who could face life in prison if he were to stand trial.
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