US Reportedly to Indict Former Cuban President Raul Castro, Increasing Pressure on Communist Regime

Washington/Havana, 15th (Comprehensive Foreign Report) - According to sources familiar with the matter, the U.S. Department of Justice plans to file criminal charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro on the 20th regarding the downing of a humanitarian aid plane 20 years ago. This is seen as further pressure on the Cuban communist regime. According to Reuters and CNN, Raul Castro, 94, is the younger brother of the late former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Fidel Castro was a Cuban revolutionary leader who led the Cuban communist regime for decades and was a long-time adversary of the United States. If the U.S. indicts Raul Castro, also an iconic figure of the Cuban revolution, it would be a major escalation of pressure by the Trump administration on Cuba. The Trump administration has described the Cuban communist regime as corrupt and incompetent, demanding change. U.S. federal prosecutors have reviewed several possible charges against Raul Castro, including those related to the 1996 downing of two planes belonging to the U.S.-based Cuban exile group 'Brothers to the Rescue' by the Cuban military, which resulted in the deaths of four men, three of whom were U.S. citizens. If the indictment is approved by a grand jury, it could be announced as early as next week. Cuba has not responded directly to the threat of U.S. indictment, but Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez expressed defiance today. Speaking at the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting, he said, 'Despite the [U.S.] embargo, sanctions, and threats of force, Cuba continues its socialist development on its sovereign path.' Amid severe fuel shortages, Cuba is battling its worst crisis in decades. The Trump administration has implemented a containment policy against Cuba since January, including a de facto fuel embargo, threats of military action, and tightened sanctions, forcing foreign companies like Canadian mining company Sherritt International to withdraw. Reuters interviewed several people in the Cuban capital, Havana, who said that if the U.S. indicts Raul Castro, it will only set back negotiations between the two countries and further deepen the diplomatic crisis. (Translator: Kao Chao-fen / Editor: Chang Cheng-chien) 1150516