Who is Raul Castro, the Cuban leader facing a US indictment
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Cuba's former President Raul Castro watches a May Day rally in Havana on May 1, 2025.
PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - Former Cuban President Raul Castro, the 94-year-old brother of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro, could be indicted by the United States in connection with Cuba’s deadly 1996 shootdown of planes operated by the humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.
Here is a look at one of the foundational figures of Cuba’s communist-run government, and his lasting influence as the remaining unifying leader among those loyal to the 1959 Cuban revolution.
Revolutionary beginnings and military career
• Born in 1931, Mr Castro was a key leader alongside his older brother Fidel in the 1959 guerrilla war that toppled US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista and launched the country’s communist revolution.
• Mr Castro served as his brother’s defence minister for decades, building a powerful base within the military and Cuban state.
• Among his roles, Mr Castro helped defeat the US-organised Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and oversaw Cuba’s overseas military interventions, particularly in Africa.
Political rise
• Mr Castro began his political ascent when Fidel fell ill in 2006, serving as acting president and then formally becoming president in 2008.
• Following Fidel’s death in 2016, Mr Castro remained the country’s dominant political figure, bucking expectations that Fidel’s absence would destabilise the communist-run government.
A lasting power broker
• Mr Castro served as president until 2018. After stepping down, he retained the honorific title of “army general” and continued to wield significant influence within Cuba’s Communist Party, armed forces and state institutions.
• Current President Miguel Diaz-Canel is widely seen as relying on Mr Castro’s guidance for major decisions.
• In December 2025, Mr Castro proposed postponing the Communist Party congress scheduled to choose Mr Diaz-Canel’s successor, citing the country’s deep economic crisis. The party’s Central Committee unanimously approved the move.
• Mr Castro last appeared in public on May 1 for International Workers’ Day. Wearing a military uniform, he marched alongside Mr Diaz-Canel and other officials but appeared fatigued and had to sit down suddenly during the ceremony. REUTERS
