1996 shootdown
Coverage of 1996 shootdown in the Nexus archive.
- Cuba ex-President Raúl Castro makes first appearance since US charges to celebrate birthday
Raúl Castro, Cuba’s former president, made a public appearance at a birthday celebration attended by officials and military leaders, days after being indicted by the United States for the 1996 downing of civilian aircraft. The event, held at the Ministry of Interior in Havana, was framed as a display of Cuban unity and defiance against U.S. pressure, with President Miguel Diáz-Canel praising Castro’s legacy.
- Cuban pilot also named in Castro indictment sentenced for immigration fraud
A Cuban pilot named in a 1996 plane shootdown indictment alongside Raul Castro was sentenced to seven months for immigration fraud after concealing 30 years of military service. He faces murder and conspiracy charges related to the attack, which killed four pilots, and may be required to testify against Castro leadership.
- Castro indictment fuels speculation Trump may be reviving Maduro playbook against Cuba
The Trump administration's indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two U.S. civilian aircraft has drawn comparisons to its pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The move, paired with increased U.S. military activity in the Caribbean, including the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, signals a potential revival of a Venezuela-style strategy to pressure Havana's communist regime.