Caracas, 22 October (H.S.): Venezuela’s ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) has condemned an arrest warrant issued in the US state of Florida against former Cuban President Raúl Castro, describing it as an attempt to intimidate Cuba’s leadership. The party has called on Latin American and Caribbean countries to rally in support of Cuba.

According to Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency, the PSUV issued a statement on Wednesday expressing solidarity with Cuba and rejecting the arrest warrant. The party maintained that the move violated international law and Cuba’s sovereignty, arguing that it lacked a legitimate legal basis.

Linking the development to mounting US pressure on Havana, the party said that American economic sanctions against Cuba had been tightened since January, placing additional strain on the Cuban population. The PSUV also reiterated its support for Cuba’s independence and the Cuban people’s right to self-determination.

The arrest warrant against Raúl Castro is connected to the 1996 incident in which two civilian aircraft belonging to the Miami-based Cuban exile organisation Brothers to the Rescue were shot down, killing four people. Castro was serving as Cuba’s defence minister at the time. US authorities allege that he played a role in authorising the operation to bring down the aircraft.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has said that the state will pursue accountability for the deaths resulting from the incident. Following the issuance of the arrest warrant, Castro could face arrest in jurisdictions whose courts are prepared to extradite him to Florida.

The incident has remained a longstanding source of contention between the United States and Cuba. Havana maintains that both aircraft had entered Cuban airspace. However, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concluded that the aircraft were over international waters when they were shot down.

The disagreement has further strained relations between Washington and Havana. The arrest warrant against Raúl Castro comes amid continuing differences between the two countries over US sanctions against Cuba and Washington’s political pressure on the island nation.

The new legal proceedings initiated in Florida have brought renewed attention to the 1996 aircraft incident. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s ruling party has opposed the move and called on countries across the region to unite in support of Cuba’s sovereignty and independence.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar