The Cuban government issued a statement condemning the United States for suing former President Raúl Castro over the shooting down of refugee planes 30 years ago, asserting that the U.S. is seeking excuses to target Cuba.
On 20 May 2026 GMT+7, the Cuban government released a statement strongly condemning the “disgusting allegations” made by the United States against former President Raúl Castro, following the U.S. Department of Justice's disclosure of an indictment against the 94-year-old man.
“This is a disgraceful and defamatory act with a clear intent to provoke politically,” the Cuban government stated in an online release, which was also read in full on state television.
The statement said the U.S. government distorted the facts surrounding the 1996 incident when Cuba shot down two planes, resulting in American deaths, and that the U.S. is using this as a pretext to prosecute Castro as of last Wednesday.
Cuba claimed it was compelled to shoot down the planes after repeated U.S. disregard for Cuban complaints about airspace violations.
“It is deeply contradictory and shameless that these allegations come from the same government that previously killed nearly 200 people and destroyed 57 ships in international waters of the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean—areas far from U.S. territory—through excessive military force,” the statement said.
Additionally, the statement concluded that the prosecution of Castro is merely a U.S. attempt to legitimize blanket punishment against the entire Cuban population.
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Source:cnn