By Ramon Labanino Salazar on June 7, 2026
When I heard the news that a court in the United States intended to put Army General Raúl Castro Ruz on trial, I felt first disbelief, then outrage, and finally deep distress at the degradation of international law. This is not the first time the northern empire has turned justice into a political weapon, but this accusation exceeds all limits of what is tolerable.
What kind of international order is this in which one country sets itself up as judge and executioner of another nation’s sovereign actions?
The trial of the Five lasted nearly seven months and dealt in depth with the incident involving the light aircraft of the terrorist organization “Brothers to the Rescue.” My brothers René and Gerardo have already described it excellently.
So much time in the courts and in the legal battle allowed us to gain a closer understanding of U.S. jurisprudence, and I can state without fear of contradiction that this lawsuit is legally ridiculous.
The United States has no jurisdiction over an act that occurred in Cuban airspace, carried out by Cuban forces in defense of Cuban sovereignty. It is as if a neighbor wanted to judge me for what I do inside my own home. Article 2 of the UN Charter is clear: sovereignty and equality of States. But for Washington, sovereignty is only valid when it suits them.
I remember the context of 1996 well. We saw how the “Brothers to the Rescue” planes flew over Havana with impunity, dropping propaganda and violating our airspace. Twenty-five serious violations documented, 16 diplomatic notes ignored.
What would the United States have done if a foreign light aircraft had flown over the Pentagon? We all know the answer: they would have shot it down, pulverized it in the air without hesitation. But when Cuba defends itself, it is accused. That is called hypocrisy, and international jurisprudence condemns it.
The 2002 Congo v. Belgium case is not an opinion; it is a binding ruling. The International Court of Justice ruled that former heads of state maintain immunity for official acts. Raúl Castro, in 1996, was Minister of the FAR. He acted in accordance with his position. To attempt to try him is utterly absurd. Does any court in Havana have jurisdiction over Washington? Well, no. And yet, they believe they have the right.
I have not the slightest doubt that this lawsuit is purely political. It is yet another lie to justify a possible invasion of our homeland. The terrorists of the Cuban-American far right do not want agreements or diplomatic solutions; they want to murder an entire people for the sole reason that they are dignified.
This is not justice; it is revenge. This is not law; it is a judicial coup d’état.
And let’s not fool ourselves: the target is not just our General Raúl Castro, the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution. The goal is to humiliate Cuba, justify future aggressions, and send a message to all the countries of the Global South.
But there is something Washington fails to grasp: we Cubans know how to live under siege. We have learned to recognize judicial farces from the Posada Carriles case—that confessed terrorist they protected in Miami—to the present day. Where is U.S. justice for the victims of Cubana de Aviación Flight 455, blown up mid-flight by terrorists trained by the CIA in1976? That question will never be answered.
We know that this Washington court will be able to continue with its judicial farce. But I also know that history has a long memory and that in fifty years, when the empire is just a memory, law students will read this case as a classic example of abusive extraterritoriality and of how political power corrupts justice.
Army General Raúl Castro Ruz does not need to be defended by any foreign court. His defense is his people; his defense is the dignity of having resisted; his defense is 65 years of Revolution. And as long as there is a single man and a single woman in Cuba willing to defend its sovereignty, all the lawsuits, all the blockades, and all the slanders of the empire will be worthless.
Justice cannot be a disguise for power. Like Fidel, Raúl has also been acquitted by history.
Source: Cubadebate translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English