MIAMI — Thousands gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana on Friday to protest the Justice Department’s indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, while people across South Florida reacted to the demonstrations and the renewed tensions between Cuba and the United States.
In comes after Federal prosecutors announced earlier this week that Castro is facing charges tied to the 1996 downing of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
The attack killed four people, including three Americans, during a mission aimed at assisting Cubans fleeing the island.
“Raul is not a defendant; Raul is our leader, a soldier of dignity,” Cuban lawmaker and former spy Gerardo Hernandez said during Friday’s protest in Havana.
Cuba’s government sharply condemned the charges, calling them “despicable.”
Castro, 94, did not attend the demonstration. However, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Castro’s grandson, who often serves as his bodyguard, joined the crowd outside the embassy.
As demonstrators gathered in Havana, some residents questioned the motives behind the indictment and what it could mean for Cuba moving forward.
“I think their plan to use the figure of our Army General, Raul Castro, for a possible intervention in our country is the same tactic they used against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,” Havana resident Ernardo Musibay said. “The Department of Justice later made clear there was no evidence to back those accusations.”
Havana resident Ernesto Musibay expressed frustration over conditions in Cuba.
“All people in Cuba are the same — only one class, poor people,” he said.
In Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, reactions to the protests were mixed.
“When I saw the large crowd, I couldn’t believe it,” Miami resident Annabella Vigna said.
“In my eyes, that’s not representative of the Cuban people or the people who left because of the regime and oppression,” she said. “I don’t believe those people genuinely support the Cuban government. I think many are being forced.”
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