Cuban Official Accuses Media of Fueling Military Conflict Narrative Against Cuba

Carlos Fernández de Cossío, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Cuba, denounced a federal indictment from the United States against Raúl Castro and five Cuban military officers as a "fraudulent" action devoid of any "legal, political, or moral" justification. He accused major international and U.S. media outlets of promoting the notion of an inevitable military conflict against the island.

The indictment, issued by a federal grand jury in Miami on April 23, 2026, and made public on Wednesday, charges Castro and five military officers with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder for the downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes on February 24, 1996, which resulted in the deaths of four Cuban-Americans.

Cossío framed the charge as part of a continuous aggressive escalation throughout this year rather than an isolated incident. "This is not an isolated incident; it is part of that aggression, a despicable act within that aggression," he stated.

The official further claimed that the indictment serves as a "political favor" to what he described as a group that, due to "the corrupt nature of the U.S. political system," wields disproportionate influence over the current administration's decisions.

Media's Role in Shaping Perception

Cossío directly accused both major American outlets and international publications of "pushing and feeding the narrative of an alleged inevitable military aggression" against Cuba. He suggested that some may be motivated by requests from the U.S. government or the pursuit of sensationalism.

In defense of the accused military personnel, Cossío recounted the events leading up to the 1996 incident. He noted that from 1994 to 1996, there were numerous air incursions by Brothers to the Rescue over Cuban territory, prompting Cuba to file diplomatic protests with the State Department and the Federal Aviation Administration on 25 occasions.

On January 15, 1996, forty days before the incident, Havana issued a public statement warning that "any unauthorized aircraft entering its airspace would be intercepted and, if necessary, neutralized."

Cossío emphasized that on the day of the incident, the State Department, the National Security Council, and the U.S. civil aviation authority were aware that this flight incursion was going to occur since the night before. "The White House knew and did not act. They chose not to act. In other words, there was complicity in that event," he asserted.

He also cited declassified documents released by the National Security Archive on Wednesday, revealing that FAA and State Department officials acknowledged the risk of the incursions and anticipated a "catastrophic scenario."

Defending the Accused

The deputy minister staunchly defended those charged: "The comrades indicted here were fulfilling a duty. The duty to protect the airspace, the homeland, and the peace of the Cuban people. Therefore, what has been done today is not an act of justice, but an act of injustice."

Recent tensions between Washington and Havana have included new sanctions against the military conglomerate GAESA, comments from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth before Congress labeling Cuba as a "national security threat," and an intelligence report about the alleged acquisition of over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran.

President Díaz-Canel called the indictment a "political maneuver without any legal basis," while Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez labeled it a "farce."

Cossío concluded with a stern warning: "Any attempt to use this excuse for action against these comrades within Cuba will be met with fierce resistance from the Cuban people."