Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Wednesday dismissed the charges by the U.S. government against Cuban former leader Raul Castro as a "political maneuver" with no legal basis whatsoever.
Earlier on Wednesday, a grand jury from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida indicted Raul Castro for his alleged role in ordering the striking down of two planes operated by a Cuban exile group in the United States named "Brothers to the Rescue" in 1996.
The U.S. indictment of the former Cuban leader has further strained the already tense relations between Washington and Havana.
Also on Wednesday, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned the U.S. move as a fresh expression of hostility toward and interference in the island country.
Meanwhile, many Cubans at home and abroad see the U.S. charges against Raul Castro as political rather than judicial, especially amid the heightened pressure on the country since the start of this year.
"Comrade Raul Castro Ruz, a general of the MINFAR (Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces), is a good comrade, with a positive attitude, and so far everything has gone well. But this is a very bad strategy against Cuba -- with each passing day it brings greater threats," said Ivette Laborde, a resident of Havana.
"The small plane was in Cuban territory. It was later proven that it was not in international waters, so we had the right to act. We have the right to defend ourselves. As a patriot, I am against all these unjust things. We are a sovereign country, and we will defend it to the fullest. It is completely a lie, a farce, just like they did with (Venezuelan President Nicolas) Maduro. They think they own the world, but that time is over," said Eliezer Medina, another resident.
Cuban president dismisses US indictment of Raul Castro as "political maneuver" with no legal basis
