Díaz-Canel joins thousands protesting Raúl Castro indictment in front of US Embassy in Havana

HAVANA (WSVN) - Furious over the indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, government officials in Cuba held a demonstration in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana.

Top Cuban leaders were also present at the early Friday morning rally, including President Miguel Díaz-Canel. However, Castro was nowhere in sight.

Organizing the event came with its own challenges, as the island nation is in dire need of oil and gas, something the Cuban government does not have.

But the rally underscores how upset this government is over their former leader, still by many accounts the most powerful person on the island, being targeted by the U.S. justice system.

Ever since the indictment was announced Wednesday at Miami’s Freedom Tower, Cuban officials have been vocal on the matter, saying there’s absolutely no way Castro is going to appear in a Miami courtroom to face charges in connection to the 1996 Cuban military attack on two planes from the Brothers to the Rescue group that left four men dead: three U.S. citizens and a legal U.S. resident.

The victims were Armando Alejandre, Jr., Carlos Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.

The Cuban regime’s leaders have said the country will resist militarily if it has to and is simply not going to stand back and allow such a key figure like Castro, who turns 95 in June, to be taken by the U.S.

As the situation grows more intense by the day, the U.S. moved a Navy aircraft carrier into the region.

Speaking with reporters, President Donald Trump dismissed the idea that the ship’s arrival is intended to intimidate Cuba’s government.

“No, not at all. The Cuban, look, it’s a failed country. Everybody knows it. They don’t have electricity, they don’t have money, they don’t have really anything, they don’t have food,” he said. “We’re going to help them along, and we’re going to help them because the people, because number one, I want to help them on a humanitarian basis, but we have the Cuban American population, much of it living in Miami and Florida.”

Meantime, concerns are growing among Cubans that the U.S. could try to pull off a similar operation like the one used to aprehend ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Cuba has vowed to resist that.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that it’s unlikely the U.S. and Cuna will reach a deal.

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