Former Cuban President Raul Castro Indicted in US for 1996 Incident

The United States has indicted former Cuban president Raul Castro on charges of conspiracy to kill US nationals in connection with the downing of two planes in 1996.

The 94-year-old was armed forces minister at the time when Cuban military jets shot down two civilian planes operated by exiles from the country, killing four people. BBC News says Castro and five others have also been charged with destruction of aircraft and four counts of murder.

Raul Castro, the brother of the late revolutionary leader, Fidel Castro, could face life in prison if found guilty.

Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has used a post on social media to denounce the US charges against his predecessor, calling the charges a “political” manoeuvre, which he says are “devoid of any legal foundation”.

This is the latest development in a sharp ratcheting up of tensions between the United States and Cuba. The Trump administration has imposed an oil blockade on the island, threatening to impose tariffs on any country which supplies oil to the island. The blockade has resulted in extensive power outages and a crisis across several sectors of the economy.