US Reportedly Preparing Charges Against Former Cuban President Raúl Castro

The United States is preparing to indict 94-year-old Raúl Castro, Cuba's former president, over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by Cuban exile groups, according to media reports. The planes were shot down nearly 30 years ago, killing four people in an incident that severely strained US-Cuba relations at the time. This legal action represents an unexpected escalation in Washington's pressure campaign against the Cuban government, coming as the island nation struggles with a collapsing economy marked by severe fuel shortages and widespread hardship. Castro served as Cuba's president from 2008 to 2018 and remains an influential figure in the country's leadership structure, having succeeded his brother Fidel Castro in leading the Communist government.