China says US should stop 'threats' against Cuba after ex-leader charged

May 21, 2026

The United States has indicted Cuba's former leader Raúl Castro, age 94, and five others on murder charges related to the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft that killed four people, including three U.S. citizens. China has condemned the indictment, calling on Washington to stop using coercive tactics against its ally Cuba and expressing firm support for Cuban sovereignty. The charges stem from an incident involving planes operated by Brothers to the Rescue, a Cuban-American dissident group, which were shot down while flying between Florida and Cuba when Castro headed the armed forces.

Who is affected

Raúl Castro (94-year-old former Cuban president) and five other co-defendants facing life imprisonment or death penalty
Cuban government and President Miguel Díaz-Canel
Cuban citizens experiencing blackouts and food shortages due to sanctions
Chinese government and its diplomatic relationship with Cuba
Three U.S. citizens killed in the 1996 incident and their families
Cuban exiles living in the United States
Cuban officials in energy, defense, financial, and security sectors targeted by sanctions

What action is being taken

The U.S. is prosecuting Raúl Castro and five others on conspiracy to murder charges
The White House is imposing new sanctions on Cuba
The U.S. is enforcing an oil blockade on Cuba
China is publicly opposing U.S. pressure on Cuba and supporting Cuban sovereignty
The U.S. is sanctioning Cuban officials in various sectors through executive order

Why it matters

This matters because it represents a significant escalation in U.S.-Cuba tensions, with Washington pursuing unprecedented criminal charges against a former head of state of a sovereign nation. The indictment deepens the diplomatic rift between the two countries that has persisted since the Cold War era, while also drawing in major geopolitical players like China, which is defending its ally and challenging U.S. actions. The broader U.S. pressure campaign, including sanctions and blockades, is causing humanitarian consequences for ordinary Cuban citizens through blackouts and food shortages, while Trump's stated goal of regime change threatens regional stability in the Caribbean and Latin America.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC