The US is stepping up pressure on Cuba and is considering the possible abduction of Raúl Castro
The US administration has stepped up pressure on Cuba in recent days. According to the report, the US embargo has led to a reduction in the country’s oil reserves.
There are also reports of increased US reconnaissance flights near the island and a possible build-up of the American military presence in the region.
The Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, John Ratcliffe, visited Cuba and, according to sources, demanded the closure of Russian and Chinese intelligence posts on the island, as well as measures to open up the economy.
Possible charges against Raúl Castro
According to NY Times sources familiar with the course of discussions in the US, federal prosecutors in Miami are working on a possible indictment against Raúl Castro, Fidel Castro’s brother.
The Donald Trump administration previously used federal charges against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a pretext for an operation in Caracas in January.
At the same time, the publication’s sources note that it is currently unknown whether Washington is considering a similar scenario regarding Cuba.
William Leogrande, a professor at American University, stated that the potential indictment is part of a campaign to put pressure on the Cuban authorities.
According to him, the Trump administration and Marco Rubio are attempting to force Cuba to make concessions by threatening military action.
Visit by the CIA Director
The exact details of John Ratcliffe’s talks with Raúl Castro’s grandson, Raúl G. Rodríguez Castro, known as Raulito or El Cangrejo (The Crab), have not been disclosed.
At the same time, one of the US demands was the closure of Chinese and Russian intelligence stations in Cuba, which are used to intercept American communications.
Former US Ambassador to the Organisation of American States Frank O. Mora stated that the CIA director’s visit served as an ultimatum to the Cuban authorities.
Raúl Castro’s health
The article notes that Raúl Castro, despite lacking formal power, remains one of the most influential figures in Cuban politics. The 94-year-old former president of Cuba has health problems, is hard of hearing and has difficulty speaking.
Possible charges
Prosecutors are discussing possible charges. These may include cases related to drug trafficking, as well as the 1996 incident in which Cuban fighter jets shot down two aircraft belonging to the organisation Brothers to the Rescue.
Four people were killed, including three US citizens and one permanent resident of the country.
In February, four Republicans in the US Congress appealed to Donald Trump to consider bringing charges against Raúl Castro, who was Cuba’s defence minister at the time.
Consequences of the 1996 incident
Following the shooting down of the planes in 1996, the US Congress passed the Helms-Burton Act, which tightened sanctions against Cuba.
The legislation linked the possibility of lifting sanctions to a change of government in Cuba and granted new rights to Americans and Cuban emigrants regarding property seized after the 1959 revolution.
US President Bill Clinton signed the law on 12 March 1996.
