The United States issued a federal criminal indictment against Raúl Castro, Cuba’s former president, and five others on Wednesday in a significant escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign to oust the country’s six-decades-old communist regime.
Charges and Context
The 94-year-old political figurehead was charged in Miami, Florida, with conspiracy to kill US nationals, four counts of murder, and two counts of destruction of aircraft. Other defendants include a fighter pilot initially charged in connection with a 1996 incident in which four men were killed by the Cuban military when their aircraft were shot down during a humanitarian mission in the Florida Straits. Castro, Cuba’s defense minister at the time, is alleged to have given the order to open fire.
Trump’s Response
Speaking to reporters after the indictment was handed down, Trump said there “won’t be an escalation” with Cuba. “I don’t think there needs to be,” he said. “Look, the place is falling apart. They’ve really lost control of Cuba.” However, the president hinted at US military control of Cuba—among other sovereign nations and territories—during his commencement speech at the US Coast Guard Academy. “From the Gulf of America to the frozen waters of the Arctic, from the shores of Havana to the banks of the Panama canal, we will drive out the forces of lawlessness and crime and foreign encroachment, just like we’ve been doing,” Trump said.
Broader Context
The indictment, filed in US district court for the southern district of Florida, comes at a time of heightened tension between the US and Cuba. Donald Trump has threatened military action against the Cuban government, and an energy crisis created by a tight US oil embargo has caused rolling blackouts and prompted protests in the capital. Meanwhile, thousands of Mississippians gathered at the state’s War Memorial Building on Wednesday in support of voting rights, protesting the supreme court’s recent decision gutting a provision of the Voting Rights Act. In other news, the US special envoy to Greenland said it’s time for Washington “to put its footprint back” on the Arctic island, as Donald Trump has repeatedly argued for US control over Greenland for national security reasons. Federal agents raided the homes of three southern California immigration activists, who allege harassment by the Trump administration. The Open Society Foundations pledged $300m to boost economic security and defend civil liberties in the US. US employers spend more than $1.5bn a year on labor union opposition efforts, according to a report by the Economic Policy Institute. Britain’s second most senior diplomat in Washington abruptly left his post. Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit from a man jailed over a Facebook post. An American doctor who contracted Ebola in the DRC has been flown to Germany for treatment. James Murdoch agreed to acquire some of Vox Media’s assets, including New York Magazine. Former US Representative Barney Frank died at age 86.
