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Original article: Cuba no se arrodilla ante Washington: miles respaldan a Raúl Castro y salen en defensa de la Revolución

Cuba Stands Strong Against Washington, thousands of citizens filled the streets this Friday at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune in Havana to denounce the U.S. Department of Justice’s accusations against the historical leader of the Revolution, Raúl Castro Ruz, and to affirm that the island will not succumb to imperialist pressure.

During the rally led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, attendees transformed the plaza into a bastion of dignity, coinciding with the 95th birthday of the Army General.

The event was called by the Young Communist League (UJC), mass organizations, student groups, and youth movements, gathering a crowd that overflowed the area in front of the former U.S. Interests Section. Notable attendees included the President of the National Assembly of People’s Power, Esteban Lazo; Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero; Party Organization Secretary, Roberto Morales; and Commander of the Rebel Army, José Ramón Machado Ventura.

All these leaders, alongside the people, stood united in support of Raúl Castro, who was implicated by U.S. authorities on Wednesday for his alleged role in the downing of two aircraft from the Brothers to the Rescue organization that violated Cuban airspace on February 24, 1996, an incident that resulted in the deaths of four individuals.

“For Cuba and for Raúl, we are at the Anti-Imperialist Tribune,” stated Díaz-Canel before the event commenced.

Political Provocation to Justify a Military Attack on Cuba

The Cuban leader warned through social media that the accusations against Castro «only highlight the arrogance and frustration that the empire’s representatives feel due to the unwavering determination of the Cuban Revolution» and described the legal action as a political maneuver with no legal basis, aimed at inflating a fictitious dossier to justify an aggressive military action against Cuba.

The Cuban authorities, in a joint statement, rejected Washington’s jurisdiction over the incident and denounced that the accusations are part of a wider strategy to tighten the blockade and the threats of armed aggression.

“This is a despicable and infamous act of political provocation, based on the dishonest manipulation of the incident that led to the downing over Cuban airspace in February 1996 of two aircraft operated by the terrorist organization Brothers to the Rescue, based in Miami, whose repeated violations of Cuban airspace with hostile intentions were publicly known,” they stated in the text.

They recalled that since January, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a “national emergency” against Cuba, imposing tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island and recently adding more sanctions against members of Díaz-Canel’s cabinet, as previously indicated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“We are called by the dignity of Cuba, the right to our autonomy, and the honor of being a generation raised under the legacy of Fidel and Raúl,” declared the first secretary of the UJC, Meyvis Estévez, from the march, as reported by Prensa Latina.

The youth leader emphasized that the mobilization intends to denounce the “infamous accusation” against the Army General, as well as the energy blockade and economic restrictions imposed by Washington. “We defend the revolution, socialism, and this homeland,” she asserted, according to the reported medium.

At the Anti-Imperialist Tribune, where Cuban flags and posters supporting Raúl Castro waved, the people responded with one voice: no blockade, no threats, no slander will stop the Revolution. Cuba will not bow down.

La entrada Cuba Stands Strong: Massive Rally in Support of Raúl Castro Defends the Revolution Against U.S. Accusations se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.