The US arrest warrant for former Cuban leader Raul Castro is political revenge, Russia has said, warning that escalating pressure on Havana could destabilize Latin America and the Caribbean.
A Florida judge issued the warrant on Monday against Castro, 95, on a charge of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder over the 1996 downing of two planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue – a Miami-based Cuban exile group led by CIA operative Jose Basulto, who has long pressed for charges against Castro. Four men were killed in the shootdown.
The US authorities accuse Castro of ordering the attack. Havana maintains it acted in self-defense against aircraft violating its airspace. The Cuban Embassy in Washington accused the group of committing more than 25 airspace violations from 1994 to 1996, despite repeated warnings from Havana.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the accusation “groundless” and “contrived,” describing its revival more than 30 years later as “revenge by Miami’s anti-Cuban lobby.”
The ministry noted that the UN Security Council addressed the incident in a July 1996 resolution without calling for anyone to be held individually responsible. Moscow argued that this effectively meant that the council, including the US, considered that aspect of the incident closed.
It warned that further pressure on Cuba, which is already struggling under an unprecedented economic, financial, and energy blockade, could provoke unrest and mass migration, creating social crises in neighboring countries.
The ministry linked its concerns about the warrant to the US seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. Without that precedent, the court decision might have been dismissed as reflecting the views of a particular group, it said, describing Maduro’s abduction as a violation of international law.
Monday’s warrant follows a separate federal indictment brought against Castro and five others in May. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the case as a “political maneuver, devoid of any legal foundation,” and accused Washington of creating a pretext for military action.
US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Havana since the operation against Venezuela, imposing a near-total energy blockade and declaring that Cuba would be “next.” The restrictions have contributed to severe energy shortages and frequent blackouts on the island.
Moscow reaffirmed its solidarity with Havana on Tuesday, pledging to strengthen ties through mutual support, assistance, and cooperation. Russia has been among the countries providing relief to Cuba, delivering around 700,000 barrels of oil in March.