U.S. Reps Praise Trump's Charges Against Castro
4 days ago
Four U.S. Congressional representatives, all of whom were born in Cuba or whose parents were Cuban, praised the Trump administration's decision to announce criminal charges against former Cuban president Raul Castro on Wednesday (May 20) as the United States steps up its pressure campaign against the Caribbean island's communist government.
"We are sending the message to the Castro family: it's time for you to leave. It's time for you to heed the signal from the White House that and do not fall into the abyss. You have the option not to wind up where Maduro is," said Representative Mara Elvira Salazar of South Florida, referring to former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who is imprisoned in the United States.
The charges come as President Donald Trump has been seeking regime change in Cuba, where communists have been in charge since Castro's late brother Fidel Castro led a revolution in 1959.
The charges against Raul Castro, 94, are expected to be based on a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets shot down planes operated by a group of Cuban exiles, a U.S. Justice Department official told Reuters last week on the condition of anonymity.
"To the Cuban people: This day is not just about bringing justice to the families of these four individuals and for these four individuals but also the first step to bring justice to the Cuban people," said Representative Carlos Gimenez, of Florida.
Havana has not commented directly on the threat of an indictment, though Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez expressed defiance in public comments on May 15.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Monday that the island does not represent a threat.
The indictment represents the latest instance of Trump's Justice Department using criminal prosecution to target his political adversaries at home and abroad. Historically, U.S. indictments of foreign leaders are rare.
The U.S. has effectively imposed a blockade on the island by threatening sanctions on countries supplying it with fuel, triggering power outages and delivering blows to its already fragile economy.
"We are sending the message to the Castro family: it's time for you to leave. It's time for you to heed the signal from the White House that and do not fall into the abyss. You have the option not to wind up where Maduro is," said Representative Mara Elvira Salazar of South Florida, referring to former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro who is imprisoned in the United States.
The charges come as President Donald Trump has been seeking regime change in Cuba, where communists have been in charge since Castro's late brother Fidel Castro led a revolution in 1959.
The charges against Raul Castro, 94, are expected to be based on a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets shot down planes operated by a group of Cuban exiles, a U.S. Justice Department official told Reuters last week on the condition of anonymity.
"To the Cuban people: This day is not just about bringing justice to the families of these four individuals and for these four individuals but also the first step to bring justice to the Cuban people," said Representative Carlos Gimenez, of Florida.
Havana has not commented directly on the threat of an indictment, though Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez expressed defiance in public comments on May 15.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Monday that the island does not represent a threat.
The indictment represents the latest instance of Trump's Justice Department using criminal prosecution to target his political adversaries at home and abroad. Historically, U.S. indictments of foreign leaders are rare.
The U.S. has effectively imposed a blockade on the island by threatening sanctions on countries supplying it with fuel, triggering power outages and delivering blows to its already fragile economy.
