DOJ reportedly preparing indictment against Cuba’s Raúl Castro

HAVANA, Cuba. — The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly preparing to indict Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old member of Fidel Castro, successful transportation with the 1996 shootdown of 2 Brothers to the Rescue planes, according to a Reuters study published Thursday night.

The study surfaced the aforesaid time CIA Director John Ratcliffe and different U.S. authorities delegates traveled to Cuba for a high-level gathering with Cuban officials.

Photos posted connected the CIA’s X relationship showed Ratcliffe gathering with Cuban officials during the visit. Cuban authorities said they agreed to the gathering to reassure U.S. leaders that Cuba does not airs a menace to the United States.

For galore successful South Florida’s Cuban exile community, the reported indictment represents a long-awaited measurement toward accountability for the 1996 attack, which killed 4 members of the Miami-based humanitarian enactment Brothers to the Rescue aft Cuban subject jets changeable down 2 civilian craft implicit planetary waters.

“That’s a bully step, but astatine the aforesaid clip it doesn’t reconcile politically speaking that they are trying to prosecute with a authorities astatine the aforesaid clip that they are trying to indict their leader,” Cuban exile Ramon Saul Sanchez said.

Sanchez besides urged caution until much details look astir the U.S. delegation’s discussions with Cuban officials.

“Until we cognize each the details astir the meeting, what was projected to the fixed regime, what they answered -- we cannot categorically accidental this is going to beryllium good,” Sanchez said.

The diplomatic outreach comes amid continued hostility betwixt Washington and Havana. Secretary of State Marco Rubio precocious accused the Cuban authorities of blocking humanitarian assistance efforts.

“We’ve offered to administer $100 cardinal of humanitarian assistance to the radical done the religion and the authorities has denied it,” Rubio said successful a caller interrogation with Fox News.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded by saying Cuba would not cull morganatic humanitarian assistance from the United States.

“If determination is genuinely a willingness connected the portion of the United States authorities to supply assistance successful the amounts it announces, it volition brushwood nary obstacles oregon ingratitude from Cuba,” Díaz-Canel said.

The developments besides unfold arsenic Cuba faces deepening economical and vigor crises. Residents crossed the land proceed to endure wide blackouts and substance shortages, prompting renewed protests successful respective communities.

Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mining warned the country’s substance reserves person astir disappeared.

“Crude oil, substance oil, of which we person perfectly none; diesel, of which we person perfectly none,” the curate said successful remarks translated from Spanish. “The lone happening we person is state from our wells.”

Cuban officials said an lipid shipment sent by Russia past period was the island’s lone large substance lifeline since January, but those reserves person present tally out.

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