The Cuban Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, avoided directly answering whether the Cuban regime fears that the arrest warrant issued in the United States against Raúl Castro could become the starting point for a scenario similar to that experienced in Venezuela, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in January 2026.
The question was posed by Andrea Rodríguez, correspondent for Associated Press (AP), during a press conference held in Havana, on the eve of the annual United Nations vote on the U.S. embargo.
The journalist related the recent judicial action against the former Cuban leader to the Venezuelan precedent and explicitly asked: «Does Cuba fear in any way that this could become a precedent for what happened in Venezuela?».
The question raised a particularly sensitive issue for the authorities in Havana: to what extent judicial actions and the increasing pressure from Washington could pose a threat to the Cuban power elite, following the U.S. military operation that resulted in Maduro's capture.
Rodríguez Parrilla did not respond to that possibility. Instead of referring to the Venezuelan precedent, he defended Raúl Castro's figure and dismissed the U.S. court order.
"The arrest warrant against the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, an internationally recognized historical figure, is an infamous and futile act," he declared.
He added that the measure "has no legal value, has no ethical value," and, as Miguel Díaz-Canel had previously stated, also "has no practical value".
The Chancellor did not explain whether the Cuban authorities consider a escalation of U.S. actions to be possible, nor what differences they see between the current situation in Cuba and the events that led to the capture of the Venezuelan leader.
An arrest warrant for the downing of Brothers to the Rescue
Rodríguez Parrilla's statements come after Florida's Attorney General, James Uthmeier, announced an arrest warrant against Raúl Castro related to the shooting down of two aircraft belonging to the organization Brothers to the Rescue, which occurred on February 24, 1996.
The attack, carried out by Cuban fighter jets over international waters, resulted in the deaths of four members of the organization: Armando Alejandre Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.
The new judicial action aims to
The state order is added to the federal actions previously announced by U.S. authorities against Castro and other former Cuban military leaders.
Although its implementation depends on jurisdictional circumstances and international cooperation, the measure adds another legal avenue against the former ruler, who remains a central figure in the Cuban political system despite having formally stepped down from his main positions.
Havana has rejected these actions and presents them as part of a campaign of political hostility promoted from the United States.
Venezuela, a precedent that the chancellor did not want to comment on
The reference to Venezuela introduces a dimension that transcends the judicial proceedings against Raúl Castro.
On January 3, 2026, a U.S. military operation culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his transfer to the United States to face criminal charges. This event altered the Venezuelan political landscape and highlighted Washington's willingness to use military means to conduct operations against a foreign leader.
However, the legal situation of Raúl Castro and that of Maduro are not equivalent, nor does a state arrest warrant by itself indicate that the United States is preparing a similar operation against Cuba.
The question from AP focused specifically on the potential political and strategic consequences of that precedent for a regime closely tied to chavismo and that is also facing increasing American pressure.
Rodríguez Parrilla did not provide an assessment of that risk. Instead, he stated that Washington's policy towards Cuba will ultimately change, whether under the current administration or under future governments.
"I am convinced that the United States government's policy toward Cuba will have to change. It will have to change, whether with this administration, the next one, or the one after that," he stated.
The minister attributed the survival of the Cuban political system to the resilience of the population and what he described as the "effective management of the government and the party," in addition to the changes introduced in the economic model.
He also warned that new sanctions and actions against Cuba could occur in the coming weeks.
The response left the central question raised by the AP correspondent unresolved: whether Havana considers the Venezuelan precedent a real threat to its leaders or if it dismisses the possibility of Washington applying a similar strategy to Cuba.
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