US charges Cuba's Raúl Castro with murder over 1996 downing of two planes
The US has charged former Cuban leader Raúl Castro with conspiracy to kill US nationals over the 1996 downing of two planes. The charges, which include murder and destruction of aircraft, were announced by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in Miami. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has condemned the charges as a political maneuver lacking legal foundation.
- ▪Raúl Castro is charged with conspiracy to kill US nationals and other crimes related to the 1996 plane downing.
- ▪The incident resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including three Americans.
- ▪Díaz-Canel has accused the US of distorting facts and imposing collective punishment on the Cuban people.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
US charges Cuba's Raúl Castro with murder over 1996 downing of two planes13 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKayla Epstein, Cecilia Barría & Pascal FletcherBBC News, BBC Mundo & BBC MonitoringReutersThe US has charged former Cuban leader Raúl Castro with conspiracy to kill US nationals and other crimes over the downing of two planes between Cuba and Florida in 1996.The case unveiled on Wednesday – a revival of charges originally from 2003 – accuses Castro and five others of shooting down aircraft belonging to Cuban American group Brothers to the Rescue and killing four people, including three Americans.Castro, now 94, was the head of the country's armed forces and faced international condemnation over the crash.As the US seeks to exert increasing pressure on Cuba's communist…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at BBC News.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from BBC News
