Politics Why former President Raúl Castro is so important in Cuba
Raúl Castro has been a fighter from the very beginning: he was there when his brother Fidel Castro transformed the Caribbean island of Cuba into a socialist bridgehead right on the doorstep of the USA in 1959.
22.05.2026, 04:47
SDA
Almost seven decades later, US President Donald Trump wants to get rid of the nuisance 145 kilometers away from Florida once and for all, and the 94-year-old Cuban ex-president is once again the focus of the conflict with the United States. Why is he so important?
Although Raúl Castro has been retired from active politics for several years - apart from his rather symbolic seat in the National Assembly - his name has come up again and again recently. Be it in connection with confidential talks between the US government and Havana or because of the charges that the USA recently brought against the retired general.
The charges relate to the shooting down of two Cessna aircraft belonging to an exiled Cuban organization by the Cuban air force in 1996, in which four people were killed. Castro was Minister of Defense at the time. The current US Attorney General Todd Blanche wants to bring him to trial for this in the United States. "We expect him to come here either voluntarily or otherwise," he said in Miami. He did not give any further details.
The younger brother of the late revolutionary leader Fidel Castro is not just anyone in Cuba. "Raúl es Raúl" (Raúl is Raúl) is a common refrain on the Cuban government's social networks in response to the US indictment. He stands for the political legacy of his family, which shaped the fate of the island for over half a century.
Raúl Castro was there with the first handful of rebels when the yacht "Granma" landed at the beginning of the revolution in Cuba and as a guerrilla fighter against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra. He later became a powerful military leader and president. He is still regarded as a key figure on the island, although he has not held a government office or a leading position in the Communist Party for several years.
Raúl Castro has influence over the economy and the military
Raúl Castro ruled Cuba from 2006, initially provisionally, and later officially between 2008 and 2018. During his time in office, there were a number of economic reforms and a cautious thaw in relations with the US government under then US President Barack Obama. In 2016, he received Obama in Havana for the first visit by a US president to Cuba in more than 80 years.
As long-serving Minister of Defense from 1959 to 2008 and the most important remaining representative of the guerrilla generation, Raúl Castro has great influence within the military. He also shaped Cuba's current economic structure, in which the military controls large parts of the economy via the Gaesa Group - including tourism, construction, port logistics and financial services.
Rubio is disappointed with the course of the negotiations
According to experts, the US wants to use the accusations against Raúl Castro to further increase pressure on Cuba to push for economic and political reforms in line with US interests. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently expressed little optimism regarding an agreement with Havana. "The likelihood of that happening is not high, given the people we're dealing with right now," he said. One of the people he is referring to is probably Raúl Castro.
In March, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said that Castro was involved in shaping the negotiation process with Washington. According to media reports, one of Castro's grandsons, who is considered his closest confidant, is - or was - Washington's main point of contact. Without Castro's consent, little is likely to move at the negotiating table at present.
Cuba expert: the fronts are likely to harden
The US disappointment with the negotiations, which are making little progress, and the accusation coincide. Some Cuba experts believe that a US military operation like the one in Venezuela in January to capture the now ousted head of state Nicolás Maduro is unlikely. Rubio also prefers a peaceful solution. "That is always our preference," said the US Secretary of State.
However, the charges against Raúl Castro are likely to further harden the fronts, as Mexican Cuba expert Ricardo Pascoe said on the "Broojula" podcast. The rhetoric has intensified not only among Cuban exiles in Miami, but also in Cuba.
Cuba has called for a rally in front of the US embassy in Havana today in support of Castro. The "heroes of the fatherland" should not be disregarded, wrote President Díaz-Canel on Platform X in reference to Castro. The renewed attack by the USA had brought Cubans even closer together and strengthened the country's anti-imperialist spirit, he said. "The general is Cuba, and Cuba deserves respect."
