Ex-Cuban President Raúl Castro Indicted In US Over 1996 Plane Downing

The United States government has indicted former Cuban president, Raúl Castro, over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft that killed four people.

According to new court filings released on Wednesday, US authorities updated an existing case dating back to 2003, though the full charges against Castro have not yet been made public.

The indictment relates to the fatal shooting down of two planes on February 24, 1996, an incident that sparked international outrage at the time.

Ahead of an official briefing, the US Department of Justice explained that an indictment is a formal legal document listing criminal charges and allegations that prosecutors must later prove in court. Under US law, defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Speaking during a press conference at Miami’s Freedom Tower, President of Miami Dade College, Madeline Pumariega, described the venue as symbolic for people who fled what she called “tyranny and oppression” in Cuba.

She said the event was not only to remember the four men killed in the 1996 incident, but also to honour what she described as countless victims who suffered under the Cuban government.

US Acting Attorney General, Todd Blanche, was expected to outline details of the charges during the news conference.