China and Russia have condemned a US decision to charge Cuba's former president Raúl Castro with murder over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft that killed four people, as Washington continues to escalate pressure on Havana.
The indictment, announced Wednesday, accuses Castro—alongside five others—of involvement in shooting down two planes operated by the Cuban-American dissident group Brothers to Rescue. The aircraft, traveling between Cuba and Florida, were carrying three US citizens at the time of the incident. Castro was head of Cuba's armed forces when the planes were struck. The charges carry penalties of life in prison or death.
What the Right Is Saying
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the US should 'stop threatening force at every turn' and that Beijing 'firmly supports Cuba.' He added that China opposed 'any attempt by external forces to exert pressure on Cuba under any pretext,' calling on Washington to 'cease using sanctions and judicial apparatus as tools of coercion against Cuba and refrain from making threats of force.'
Russia's Kremlin also weighed in, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling state media Thursday that the US pressure campaign—including the indictment—'cannot be condoned.' He said such methods 'border on violence' and should never be used against former or current heads of state. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the charges as 'a political manoeuvre, devoid of any legal foundation.'
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive voices have largely supported the Trump administration's actions against Cuba, framing the indictment as long overdue accountability for human rights abuses and acts of aggression against Americans. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press conference in Florida that Castro 'openly admits and brags about' giving the order to shoot down the planes.
Cuban-American lawmakers have praised the charges as a necessary step toward justice for victims and their families. The Families of the victims, many of whom have spent decades advocating for accountability, have called the indictment a significant development. Rubio has also messaged directly to the Cuban people in Spanish, describing the administration's moves as 'offering a new path' toward freedoms enjoyed by Cuban-Americans.
What the Numbers Show
The Brothers to Rescue incident killed four people in 1996—three US citizens and one Cuban-American. The Trump administration has imposed fresh sanctions on Cuba this year, including an executive order targeting officials in the island's energy, defense, financial, and security sectors.
Cuba had been receiving approximately 35,000 barrels of oil per day from Venezuela prior to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's capture by US forces. A single Russian oil shipment that was allowed through has already run out, contributing to extended blackouts and food shortages on the island. The US has imposed an effective blockade on oil shipments to Cuba.
The Bottom Line
The indictment of a former foreign head of state marks an escalation in US-Cuba tensions that have been building since Trump took office. China and Russia—Cuba's key international allies—have now formally condemned Washington's actions, raising the diplomatic stakes.
Rubio declined to specify how the administration would seek to bring Castro to stand trial, noting only the administration's preference for a negotiated settlement while preserving the option of using force if national security threats are identified. Cuban officials have been in talks with Washington for several months on finding solutions to their differences. What happens next likely depends on whether those negotiations produce results or collapse under the weight of the latest US actions.