The Trump administration has turned its eyes to Cuba. Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment of former Cuban leader Raul Castro. According to the DOF, Castro is charged with four counts of murder and conspiracy to kill U.S. Nationals.
In a statement, FBI Director Kash Patel said the “indictment of Raul Castro and five Castro regime co-defendants is a major step toward accountability in the 1996 murders of four Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR) members.” The Department of Justice describes BTTR as a Miami-based organization that “conducted humanitarian flight operations across the Florida Straits to search for Cuban migrants in distress.”
On Wednesday, President Trump told the press that there will not be an escalation after the indictment. Trump also gestured toward coming changed saying, “we have Cuba on our mind,” and “we’re freeing up Cuba.”
Cuba in Crisis
In recent years, the Cuban economy has been in dire straits with incomes hovering around “$16 and $23” per month. Things have gotten even worse in recent days as the Cuban economy has faced an energy crisis now that access to Venezuelan oil has dried up. Former Pentagon Official Steve Bucci told Drew Mariani that even Cuba’s other friends have abandoned them. “The other big patron of Cuba was Russia and to a much smaller extent, China. They’re both not supporting Cuba right now, or can’t even if they wanted to.”
Last week, the energy crisis escalated into blackouts—some lasting as long as 23 hours, according to The Dispatch. The center-right outlet also reported that the medical system was crumbling. “With hospitals short of power, 96,000 people—roughly 1 percent of the population—are on waiting lists for surgery.”
Aid Blockade
The Trump Administration has offered a $100 million humanitarian aid package to help the Cuban people, with the one stipulation being that the government cannot distribute the aid. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that the aid must go through NGOs like the Catholic Church because the Trump Administration does not trust the Cuban government. “This can’t be humanitarian aid if the government steals it for itself,” Rubio told NBC.
When asked what the administration’s plan for Cuba, Rubio said, “a prosperous future.”