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US indicts former Cuban President Raúl Castro

May 21, 2026, 6:40am EDT
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The Nimitz aircraft carrier.

The US indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro, potentially setting the stage for a military intervention in the island nation.

The indictment alleges Castro was responsible for shooting down two civilian planes carrying aid to Cuba in 1996. Washington appears to be following the same playbook it used to oust the former president of Venezuela, first building a legal case and then deploying military assets to the region: The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier arrived in the Caribbean on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the situation in Cuba remains dire amid lengthy power cuts that have left many, including hospital patients, struggling. But some remain hopeful: “Something good has to come out of all this,” a Havana resident told The Wall Street Journal.

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