Raúl Castro Labeled a Criminal in U.S. and Cuba, Cuban Influencer Declares

The Cuban Christian influencer, Iván Daniel Calás Navarro, recently took to Facebook to share a video in which he responds to the charges brought against Raúl Castro by U.S. authorities. He argues that the former dictator is not only a criminal in the eyes of American courts but even more so in the eyes of Cuba and its history.

Since its release on Friday, the video has garnered over 13,000 views and nearly 1,800 reactions. This comes on the heels of the U.S. Justice Department's decision to unseal an expanded indictment against Raúl Castro and five former Cuban military figures for their involvement in the downing of two Brothers to the Rescue planes on February 24, 1996.

Calás Navarro begins his video without hesitation, stating, "I am Christian, and I'm pleased that Raúl Castro is being held accountable by U.S. justice."

However, the content creator delves deeper than the legal proceedings, discussing the historical accountability of the ex-dictator: "Raúl Castro is a criminal in the eyes of U.S. justice because of the Brothers to the Rescue incident. But to Cuba, to reality, and in historical terms, he is a criminal for many more reasons."

Now operating the YouTube channel Voz de Verdad while in exile, Calás Navarro describes Castro as the chief architect of a decades-long oppressive regime: "In a military dictatorship, he stands as the general of the armies. We are talking about decades of oppression, divided families, and systematic suffering."

One of the most direct accusations in the video targets the mandatory military service, under which many young Cubans have died: "We're talking about the 'angel' who leads the army where young people have died and continue to die under compulsory military service."

Calás also addresses those who might question his joy from a religious perspective: "Christian love is often mistaken for passivity or tolerance of injustice. And that's not right; it's incorrect to twist theology to justify the unjustifiable."

The influencer argues that celebrating justice is an act of love for the oppressed: "Remember this, rejoicing in justice is also an act of loving the neighbor who has been and is oppressed."

Calás Navarro is no stranger to the risks of speaking freely in Cuba. In September 2023, he was summoned for police questioning in Havana due to his religious posts and was warned that he could face imprisonment if he continued to speak out against the authorities.

The indictment that spurred the video was issued by a federal grand jury in Miami on April 23, 2026, and unsealed on May 20. The charges against 94-year-old Raúl Castro include conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder for the deaths of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales.

A key piece of evidence is a June 1996 audio recording in which Castro, then the Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, ordered: "Take them down over the sea when they appear; and don't consult those with authority."

The only co-defendant currently in U.S. custody is Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, arrested in November 2025 for immigration fraud by concealing his military past. Should Raúl Castro be found guilty, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment, although the indictment mainly holds symbolic weight as Castro has never set foot on U.S. soil, and there is no extradition treaty between Cuba and the U.S.

Calás Navarro concludes his message with a plea that echoes the sentiments of many Cubans both on the island and in exile: "For Cuba, I ask not only God and those He uses for freedom but also for justice."