Gli Stati Uniti di Donald Trump non risparmiano più l’uomo a terra, hors de combat (fuori combattimento), ignorando ogni riferimento al diritto internazionale umanitario. E vale tutto – anche accanirsi contro un Paese in crisi umanitaria e un ex presidente 95enne – pur di recuperare qualche punto nei sondaggi che sono ai minimi storici (31%), a ridosso delle elezioni di midterm. Lo conferma il tempismo del mandato di cattura annunciato lunedì contro l’ex presidente cubano Raúl Castro, fratello del leader della rivoluzione Fidel, accusato di “cospirazione finalizzata a omicidio in primo grado” per l’abbattimento di due velivoli pilotali dall’organizzazione Brothers to the rescue/Hermanos al rescate avvenuto più di trent’anni fa, il 24 febbraio 1996. In quell’incidente sono morti tre cittadini americani e un residente Usa: Carlos Costa, Pablo Morales , Mario de la Peña e Armando Alejandre Jr. Secondo le indagini dell’Organizzazione dell’aviazione civile internazionale, l’attacco del 1996 si sarebbe verificato in acque internazionali, ma L’Avana sostiene di aver agito in “legittima difesa” e “all’interno delle proprie acque giurisdizionali”.
“Raúl Castro (allora vicepresidente del Consiglio di Stato e ministro delle Forze armate rivoluzionarie, ndr) ha ordinato l’uccisione di quattro concittadini a sangue freddo e la Florida non smetterà mai di cercare giustizia”, ha commentato in conferenza stampa il procuratore generale in carica dello Stato americano, James Uthmeier, conservatore, affiliato al Partito Repubblicano, già promotore della creazione del centro di detenzione “Alligator Alcatraz” e in corsa verso il secondo mandato. “L’ordine d’arresto – ha aggiunto – limiterà la capacità di Castro di lasciare la nazione insulare e gli impedirà di viaggiare in qualsiasi luogo che abbia un accordo di estradizione con gli Stati Uniti”. Il procuratore dice di tener conto dell’anzianità di Castro ma confida che eventuali catture e trasferimenti a Miami avvengano per conto di “altri” soggetti.
Allo stesso tempo, fonti de L’Avana esprimono perplessità a Ilfattoquotidiano.it sul carattere extraterritoriale del mandato di cattura, i cui margini interpretativi potrebbero allargarsi addirittura a un’operazione di estrazione nell’Isola, sulla falsariga di quanto avvenuto il 3 gennaio, a Caracas, durante il blitz della Cia contro Nicolás Maduro e Cilia Flores. Uthmeier prova a blindare anche l’eventuale prigionia di Castro avvertendo: “Se un simpatizzante del comunismo (cioè, un candidato Dem, ndr) dovesse tornare a occupare la Casa Bianca, non potrà dargli l’indulto, commutargli la pena né concedergli l’immunità di fronte a questi procedimenti statali”.
Immediata la reazione del suo sfidante alla carica di procuratore, José Javier Rodríguez, che contesta tempi e modi dell’annuncio: “Utilizzare una tragedia dolorosa e mai dimenticata per la comunità di Miami al solo scopo di mettere in scena uno show politico a ridosso delle elezioni dimostra come l’ufficio del Procuratore generale venga usato come uno strumento di campagna elettorale, invece che per amministrare una giustizia seria”. E, almeno a livello emotivo, il provvedimento fa breccia tra gli esuli cubani, compresi i familiari delle vittime, riuniti alla Freedom Tower di Miami. Per Mirta Méndez, madre del pilota Carlos Alberto Costa, “vedere lo Stato della Florida e le autorità muoversi insieme per inchiodare il regime cubano alle sue responsabilità cancella, almeno in parte, il senso di abbandono che abbiamo provato per decenni”. Ma tra gli stessi esuli anti-Castro non manca lo scetticismo. “Come lo arresteranno, se è protetto da un esercito? Questa sembra più propaganda che giustizia reale per le famiglie”, commenta Camilo López, residente a Little Havana.
In fondo, il tentativo dell’amministrazione Trump è quello di recuperare i consensi perduti in una fetta dell’elettorato latino, con il 74% dei membri che disapprova le sue politiche mentre il 55% dichiara esplicitamente che gli voterà “contro”, secondo una recente rilevazione a cura del Pew Research Center.
L’atto di propaganda viene denunciato anche dal presidente cubano, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, che su X reputa “spregevole” il mandato di cattura contro Raúl Castro, definendolo un “patetico circo a sfondo elettorale” che “non avrà mai il minimo senso giuridico e tantomeno pratico”. Il presidente condanna quindi la “manovra con veste legale montata da politici anti cubani contro Castro e contro Cuba”.
Nel frattempo, a L’Avana la vita reale è sempre dura da affrontare: quest’anno il Pil subirà una contrazione del 10,3%, la peggiore in tutto l’emisfero, mentre zone come Pinar del Río affrontano blackout che raggiungono anche le 90 ore. La produzione interna è ferma, causa blocco ed embargo, mentre le importazioni dagli Usa salgono del 210% rispetto all’anno precedente. Tutto concorre, anche le merci, all’occupazione dell’Isola.
L'articolo Gli Usa spiccano un mandato di cattura contro l’ex presidente cubano Raul Castro. Così Trump spera di ottenere il voto degli esuli dell’Isola proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.
A combination of maritime fuel blockades, power grid collapses, and legal indictments deepens economic hardship across the island nation.
Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second administration, the United States’ relentless hostility toward Cuba has been on the rise. This friction has centered on unilateral sanctions, trade restrictions, and direct legal actions against former Cuban government leaders.
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Russia Condemns U.S. Arrest Warrant for Raul Castro
2026 brought to Cuba a series of severe economic challenges, particularly regarding its energy sector. U.S. executive orders and maritime monitoring actions aimed at restricting oil shipments to state-owned Cuban entities contributed directly to fuel shortages across the island. These restrictions affected power generation, agricultural transport, municipal services, and health sector logistics.
In May, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal jury indictment in Miami charging former Cuban President Raúl Castro and five co-defendants with conspiracy and murder related to a 1996 aerial shootdown.
Cuba Fuel Restrictions and the Energy Infrastructure Crisis
On January 29, Trump issued an executive order stating that the U.S. would impose tariffs on any country that sent oil to Cuba. The U.S. government authorized certain fuel shipments exclusively to private commercial entities, while blocking access to state-managed refineries and power facilities.
This policy created severe fuel deficits for public utilities responsible for national electricity generation. A deficit that led to recurring shutdowns across the National Electrical System. On March 16, 2026, the national grid suffered a complete collapse after a major boiler leak occurred at the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Power Plant in Matanzas. By October 2026, another mechanical breakdown left up to 75 percent of the country without power.
The energy deficits extended beyond residential electricity. In February 2026, fuel shortages forced Cuban aviation authorities to suspend refuel operations for foreign air carriers. Consequently, airlines such as Air Canada, Rossiya, and Nordwind suspended flights to the island. International tourist arrivals dropped by approximately 58 percent by June 2026 compared to prior operational benchmarks.
Public sanitation and healthcare systems reported operational disruptions due to the fuel deficit. In Havana, local authorities reported that only 44 of 106 municipal collection trucks were operational in early 2026 due to empty fuel tanks.
In June 2026, United Nations human rights monitors showed a 60 percent decline in agricultural production caused by fuel shortages for farming equipment and transport vehicles.
🇨🇺 96,000 Cubans are waiting for surgery as a result of lack of fuel and lack of energy. Among them, 11,000 children.
— Kawsachun News (@KawsachunNews) March 22, 2026
The U.S. is denying oil to Cuba through a fuel blockade, despite that it’s perfectly legal for any country to export fuel to Cuba. @CarlosFdeCossio pic.twitter.com/DnHW2TONJ5
Hybrid Operations and International Diplomatic Positions
Throughout 2026, the U.S. diplomatic campaign was accompanied by increased military surveillance, intelligence monitoring, and diplomatic warnings. Reports documented an increase in U.S. military reconnaissance flights operating over international airspace near the Cuban coastline.
Cuban defense officials countered that the frequency of these flights constituted deliberate psychological pressure and surveillance of national infrastructure.
In parallel with maritime and aerial activities, U.S. diplomats engaged with governments in Latin America and Europe to restrict economic partnerships with Havana.
The U.S. State Department urged partner nations to terminate bilateral agreements involving Cuban medical professionals. Several governments, including Guatemala, Honduras, and several Caribbean nations, subsequently reduced or phased out participation in Cuban medical exchange programs.
In August 2026, UN human rights rapporteurs released a joint statement concluding that unilateral fuel restrictions and financial blockades exacerbated severe shortages of basic goods, medicine, and food.
The Legal Prosecution of Raul Castro and the 1996 Case
On May 20, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed a federal indictment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida charging former Cuban President Raúl Castro and five co-defendants with conspiracy, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder.
The legal push escalated further on October 19, 2026, when Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement secured a state arrest warrant for Castro, charging him with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.
Both prosecutions center on an incident that took place on February 24, 1996, when Cuban military MiG fighter jets intercepted and shot down two civilian Cessna 337 aircraft. The planes were operated by Brothers to the Rescue (Hermanos al Rescate), a Miami-based organization founded by José Basulto.
The group initially focused on search-and-rescue operations for Cuban migrants in the Florida Straits, but later expanded its activities to include dropping political leaflets directly over Havana.
The 1996 aerial interception resulted in the deaths of four crew members: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales. U.S. federal and state authorities asserted that the civilian planes were destroyed over international waters without legal justification.
Florida state prosecutors cited military chain-of-command statements from the period in which Castro, then Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, authorized commanders to shoot down unauthorized aircraft over the sea without prior consultation.
In response, the Cuban government stated that the civilian aircraft had repeatedly violated Cuban sovereign airspace despite official diplomatic warnings issued to the U.S. State Department prior to the incident.
Cuban authorities and foreign affairs analysts characterized the revival of thirty-year-old charges as a coordinated exercise of extraterritorial judicial power. Officials in Havana rejected the dual legal actions as politically motivated efforts to criminalize Cuba’s historical leadership and create legal grounds for continuing trade and financial sanctions.
U.S. state of Florida's Attorney General James Uthmeier on Monday issued an arrest warrant for Cuban Revolution leader Raul Castro on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder linked to the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft. https://t.co/FyQMk8L6E6 pic.twitter.com/TDb95dNOk8
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) October 19, 2026
Domestic Mobilization and Sovereign Defense
The Cuban government and civic organizations responded to the rising external pressures through formal diplomatic rejections, official government statements, and public mobilizations.
Following the unsealing of the May 2026 U.S. indictment against former President Raúl Castro, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla rejected the legal action in an address to international media and diplomats.
Rodríguez Parrilla characterized the indictment as a politically motivated maneuver designed to justify economic sanctions and interfere with Cuban domestic jurisdiction. President Miguel Díaz-Canel reiterated this position, stating that national sovereignty and historical decisions regarding territorial air defense remain non-negotiable under international law.
In urban centers across Cuba, including Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Matanzas, civil organizations and neighborhood committees organized rallies opposing external interference and economic restrictions.
At the same time, state ministries implemented emergency measures to manage reduced fuel supplies and maintain essential public services. Municipal governments established scheduled electricity rotations, prioritized available diesel fuel for medical facilities and water distribution pumps, and expanded the use of draft animals and non-motorized transport in agricultural regions.
On the international stage, Havana received diplomatic backing from several multilateral organizations and regional governments. The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA-TCP) issued a joint declaration condemning unilateral coercive measures against Cuba’s energy sector.
During the United Nations General Assembly in September 2026, representatives from non-aligned nations called for an immediate end to the trade embargo, citing its negative impact on civilian health, infrastructure, and human development.
🇧🇧 Prime Minister @miaamormottley of Barbados condemns the US embargo and fuel blockade of Cuba 🇨🇺 at #UNGA81 pic.twitter.com/SzIXGvGYfa
— Michael Galant (@michael_galant) September 24, 2026
Analysis of Coercive Strategies and Long-Term Impacts
The events of 2026 reflect an intensification of U.S. policy toward Cuba through a combination of trade restrictions, infrastructural pressure, and legal mechanisms targeting state leadership.
The strategic focus on restricting fuel imports significantly affected Cuba’s national power grid, agricultural logistics, and public transportation. Simultaneously, the unsealing of a thirty-year-old indictment against Raúl Castro added a significant legal dimension to bilateral relations.
Economic data, energy assessments, and reports from international monitors demonstrate that the primary burden of fuel deficits and infrastructure instability falls directly on the civilian population. The disruptions to medical supplies, food distribution, and municipal sanitation illustrate the direct impact of unilateral economic sanctions on daily life.
Despite persistent resource constraints and structural deficits, the Cuban government has maintained state operations and institutional control through domestic conservation strategies and international partnerships.
#Russia | Moscow condemned a US arrest warrant against Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft, calling the charges politically motivated.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 20, 2026
Russia warned that escalating pressure on Cuba could destabilize Latin America and the Caribbean.#RaulCastro #Cuba… pic.twitter.com/PhmRslPWFq
Sources: Granma – Juventud Rebelde – Cuba Debate – Cubavisión – CiberCuba – EcuRed – TeleSUR – BBC – CNN – The Guardian – La Radio del Sur
Brasilia, 20 oct (Prensa Latina) La Asociación Nacional de Cubanos Residentes en Brasil José Martí (Ancreb-JM) rechazó hoy la orden de arresto emitida en Florida, Estados Unidos, contra el líder de la Revolución Cubana, Raúl Castro.
The post Cubanos en Brasil rechazan orden en EEUU contra Raúl Castro first appeared on Noticias Prensa Latina.
On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning the issuance of a U.S. arrest warrant for Cuban revolutionary leader Raul Castro. The statement reads as follows:
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“We categorically reject and strongly condemn the issuance by a judge in Miami, United States, of an arrest warrant for Cuba’s historic leader, Army General Raul Castro.
The political and legal assessments of the events of February 1996, for which the Americans hold Raul Castro personally responsible, are set out in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1067, adopted on July 26 of that year.
The resolution contains no calls for measures to hold any individual personally accountable. This effectively means that the Council, including the U.S., agreed that this aspect of the incident was closed.
Bringing baseless, contrived charges more than 30 years later can only be seen as an act of revenge by Miami’s anti-Cuban lobby — an attempt to settle scores with Raul Castro, who celebrated his 95th birthday in June.
We wish to emphasize that further escalating tensions around the Island of Freedom, which is already enduring extremely difficult times amid an unprecedented trade, economic, financial and energy blockade, could destabilize the entire Latin American and Caribbean region.
A social upheaval in Cuba could well trigger a mass exodus of Cuban citizens to neighboring countries, potentially plunging them into a social crisis.
This court ruling might have been regarded merely as an expression of the sentiments of a particular group of individuals, were it not for the events in Venezuela earlier this year, when its leader was abducted in violation of all norms and principles of international law.
For our part, we reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with the government of fraternal Cuba, with which we will continue to strengthen our close ties of friendship, mutual support, assistance, and comprehensive cooperation.
We are confident that the indomitable Cuban people and their leaders will respond with dignity to this latest attack by foreign ill-wishers.
We wish Russia’s friend, Comrade Raul Castro, sound health and continued courage, bravery, and strength of spirit — qualities that have always distinguished him.”
teleSUR/ JF
Source: MFA
On Tuesday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she believes the arrest warrant issued by a Florida court against former Cuban President Raul Castro is primarily politically motivated and linked to the U.S. elections.
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Cuban President Rejects U.S. Arrest Warrant Against Gen. Raul Castro
The Mexican president’s statements came after the Florida Attorney General’s Office announced it had obtained a state arrest warrant for Raul Castro, 95, in a case related to events that occurred in 1996.
Sheinbaum maintained that the measure seeks support among certain sectors of the U.S. electorate. During her morning press conference, she stated that the judicial decision responds to political interests related to the November elections in the United States.
The indictment accuses the former Cuban leader of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in connection with the downing of two planes belonging to the Brothers to the Rescue organization.
“Es político”, afirma Claudia Sheinbaum al dar su opinión sobre la orden de detención contra el expresidente cubano, Raúl Castro. La presidenta mexicana considera que el caso también tiene relación con las elecciones de noviembre en Estados Unidos. pic.twitter.com/17oxb2t0bQ
— La Periodista (@LaPeriodista_MX) October 20, 2026
The text reads, “‘It’s political,’ affirms Claudia Sheinbaum when giving her opinion on the arrest warrant against the former Cuban president, Raul Castro. The Mexican president considers that the case also has a connection to the November elections in the United States.”
In that incident, which occurred on February 24, 1996, Cuban military fighter jets shot down two civilian aircraft that had departed from Florida, in which four people died. The reopened case coincides with stringent measures taken by Washington against the island.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier maintains that Castro, who was then Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, was part of the chain of command that authorized the military operation.
The arrest warrant comes in addition to the charges filed in May by U.S. federal authorities against the former Cuban leader for his alleged involvement in the same events.
#WorldCup2026 | @CharlieMontero_ continues his journey through Mexico and discovers the incredible friendship and positive energy shared between Japanese fans and Mexican supporters.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) June 15, 2026
Why is there such a special bond between them?
Find out here on teleSUR English. pic.twitter.com/Tn5dmE83CT
teleSUR: JP
Source: EFE
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier revealed on Monday that a judge in the state had issued an arrest warrant for Raúl Castro, the 95-year-old dictator of Cuba, on conspiracy to commit murder charges.
The post Florida Judge Issues Arrest Warrant for 95-Year-Old Cuban Dictator Raúl Castro appeared first on Breitbart.
On Monday, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called the Florida Court’s arrest warrant for Army General Raul Castro a “reprehensible action” and a “pathetic Miami circus”.
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“The reprehensible action taken against the Army General this morning—a pathetic circus in Miami with an electoral agenda—lacks, and will forever lack, any legal basis, let alone any practical merit. Raul is Raul, and every affront to his person will always be met with the determination of a people to defend the Revolution,” he said.
“This maneuver, dressed up in legal terms by anti-Cuban politicians against Raul and against Cuba, deserves our firm condemnation. It is part of an aggressive agenda and reflects the difficulties they face in trying to justify the blockade and the collective punishment of our people,” Diaz-Canel stressed.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also condemned what he called a “sterile maneuver” driven by anti-Cuban politicians in South Florida. The minister maintained that the accusations were unfounded and linked them to a strategy of political pressure and hostility.
YES to a 30-year-old Cuba case. NO to today's problems.
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) May 21, 2026
FYI: A U.S. grand jury in Florida has indicted Cuban leader Raul Castro, a move widely seen as an escalation of Washington's pressure campaign against Cuba.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez swiftly condemned the… pic.twitter.com/WDXuhlWeeT
The attack occurred on February 24, 1996, in international waters, where three U.S. citizens and one legal permanent resident of the United States died. Miami-based “Brothers to the Rescue” carried out missions to locate and assist Cubans attempting to leave the island by sea for the United States.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the warrant charges the former Cuban leader with “conspiracy to commit first-degree murder” for the events that occurred nearly three decades ago.
The warrant, signed by a Miami judge, is based on an investigation into Castro’s alleged role as Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba. According to U.S. authorities, Cuban agents gathered information about flights belonging to the Brothers to the Rescue organization and transmitted it to Havana.
The U.S. investigation maintains that this information “facilitated” the interception of the aircraft by Cuban military fighter jets during an operation that resulted in the downing of both planes.
#Cuba | Cuba is reforming its state-owned enterprises to expand financial autonomy, boost domestic production, and strengthen cooperation with the private sector amid US sanctions.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 16, 2026
The government says public ownership will remain central to its economic model.#EconomicReforms… pic.twitter.com/GJMG0FJz6d
teleSUR: JP
Source: France 24
La orden de arresto está dada. La jueza Ariana Fajardo Orshan, del Undécimo Circuito Judicial de Florida, consideró que existen las pruebas suficientes para demostrar que Raúl Castro conspiró y, por tanto, es responsable de la muerte de cuatro personas tras el derribo de las avionetas de la organización humanitaria Hermanos al Rescate. Luego de tres décadas del incidente, Orshan firmó una orden estatal de arresto sin derecho a fianza contra el expresidente de 96 años por un capítulo que marcó para siempre al exilio cubano.
© Ernesto Mastrascusa (EFE)
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