Mexican deputies defend Raúl Castro against U.S. accusations, drawing criticism

Deputies from Mexico's ruling Morena party have closed ranks around former Cuban President Raúl Castro, rejecting U.S. accusations that he was responsible for murder. The lawmakers, part of the "Mexico-Cuba Brotherhood Group," issued a statement condemning the formal accusation against Castro concerning the 1996 downing of two U.S. aircraft.

"The accusation does not represent a step toward accountability, as the U.S. government mentions, but rather the reinforcement of acts of political coercion against the sovereignty of a nation," the Morena legislators stated. Their pronouncement was shared by the Cuban Embassy in Mexico.

This position drew sharp criticism from U.S. Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau. He highlighted that no single legislator signed the statement, suggesting a lack of direct responsibility for the declarations. Landau questioned Cuba's democratic record, asserting that the island has not held free elections in 67 years, which he claims has devastated its economy, leading to the import of sugar and citizens scavenging for food.

Landau further questioned how an "absolute dictatorship" that has persisted for over four times the duration of Pinochet's rule in Chile, and which he argues has survived parasitically on other nations like the USSR and Venezuela, could represent "self-determination" and "dignity." He also deemed it "dishonorable" for the deputies to hide behind anonymity when releasing such communiqués.

The initial Morena statement argued that the 1996 incident served as a pretext to impose the Helms-Burton Act, exacerbating Cuba's economic hardship. They declared they would not accept the "criminalization or death threats against revolutionary icons who have dedicated their lives to defending the self-determination of peoples and the dignity of their nation."