HAVANA, June 5 - Cuba's former president Raul Castro made a public appearance at an Interior Ministry celebration in Havana that was shown on state television on Friday. The broadcast represented the elder statesman's first confirmed public sighting since a U.S. indictment last month that names him in connection with deaths in a 1996 plane shootdown.
The indictment, brought by the U.S. government, accuses Castro - who previously served as defense minister - of ordering Cuban military jets to shoot down aircraft operated by a group of Cuban exiles in 1996. U.S. officials have said that the accusation represents a significant escalation in Washington's efforts to increase pressure on Cuba's communist government.
Castro, who celebrated his 95th birthday on Wednesday, had been seen in public most recently about a month ago during May 1 festivities in Havana, according to state broadcasts. That appearance came just prior to the U.S. indictment. Before those May 1 events, his last recorded public presence was on January 15, when he participated in a ceremony in the capital paying tribute to 32 Cuban soldiers killed during the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The Interior Ministry event in Havana and the state television footage provided the first visual confirmation of Castro's attendance at a public gathering since the U.S. legal action was announced. The indictment and the subsequent broadcast of his appearance are the latest developments in a sequence of actions and public events involving the former Cuban leader that have attracted international attention.
This report confines itself to facts shown in state broadcasts and described in official statements made public regarding the U.S. indictment and Castro's public schedule. It does not include additional commentary or speculation about legal processes, diplomatic consequences, or other matters not detailed in the public statements and television coverage referenced above.
Key developments:
- Raul Castro appeared at an Interior Ministry celebration in Havana, shown on state television.
- The appearance is his first public sighting since a U.S. murder indictment related to a 1996 plane shootdown.
- Castro had been seen in public on May 1 and previously on January 15 at a ceremony honoring 32 Cuban soldiers.