US Charges Cuba's Ex-President Over 1996 Plane Shootdowns
The US has charged Cuba's former president Raúl Castro and five others. Castro is 94 years old.
He was charged in Miami with plotting to kill US citizens. He also faces four murder charges and two charges of destroying aircraft.
The charges relate to the shooting down of planes belonging to Cuban exiles in 1996. Castro was Cuba's defense minister at the time of the shootdowns.
The four victims were Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr.
Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales. Three of them were US citizens.
The indictment was filed on April 23 but kept sealed until Wednesday May 20. Cuba's current leader Miguel Díaz-Canel called the charges political theatre. The charges are part of the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Cuba's Communist government.
Key Terms 4
- indictment A formal criminal charge issued by a court or government
- sealed Kept secret from the public until a judge allows it to be opened
- exiles Cubans who left Cuba and settled in other countries like the US
- pressure campaign Repeated actions taken to force a government to change its behaviour