Beijing denounces the use of judicial measures to pressure Havana.
On Wednesday, China opposed the “abuse of judicial means” to pressure Cuba and urged the United States to “immediately end the blockade” against the island following the issuance of an arrest warrant in Florida for former Cuban President Raul Castro.
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At a regular news conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that the former president “is a highly prestigious and respected Cuban revolutionary leader who enjoys enormous authority internationally.”
Mao stressed that Beijing has always opposed the “abuse of judicial means” to pressure Cuba, while expressing the Asian country’s “firm” support for the island in defending its national sovereignty.
The spokeswoman also urged the United States to “immediately end the blockade” against Cuba and “stop violating the Cuban people’s right to exist and develop.”
🇨🇺 95 years of Raúl. Today we honour Army General Raúl Castro Ruz. Born 3 June 1931. Still inspiring generations. From the Sierra Maestra to the highest offices of the Revolution, his life remains a testament to an unbreakable commitment to the Cuban people.#95DeRaúl #RaúlEsRaúl pic.twitter.com/K0DUB6IEiy
— Cuba in the UK (@EmbaCuba_UK) June 3, 2026
Judicial Proceedings Revived Nearly Three Decades After 1996 Incident
China’s position comes after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Monday that he had obtained a state arrest warrant for Castro, 95, who has been retired from public life since 2021.
U.S. authorities are seeking to prosecute him on charges of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, linking him to the chain of command that authorized the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft belonging to the terrorist organization “Brothers to the Rescue,” an incident in which four Florida residents were killed.
The state-level legal action comes in addition to the indictment filed by the U.S. federal justice system last May. The reopening of the case nearly three decades later coincides with a period of intensified sanctions, political pressure and legal blockades directed by U.S. President Donald Trump against Havana.
#Iran condemns #US interventionist actions against #Cuba, denounces arrest warrant for Raul Castrohttps://t.co/KfOCUGGiFX pic.twitter.com/vBrbkTa05t
— Isna English (@Isna_English) October 21, 2026
Official Rejection From Havana
The announcement by U.S. prosecutors prompted an immediate and forceful response from the island’s top political leadership.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called the judicial decision a “pathetic Miami circus” intended to appease the most extremist factions.
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez described the measure as “another futile maneuver by anti-Cuban politicians in South Florida,” aimed at manufacturing pretexts to deepen the economic stranglehold on the Cuban population.
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: EFE – teleSUR
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