{"id":1085,"date":"2026-05-22T08:04:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T08:04:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=1085"},"modified":"2026-05-22T08:04:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T08:04:27","slug":"rare-public-appearances-low-profile-mark-raul-castros-life-since-stepping-down-as-cubas-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=1085","title":{"rendered":"Rare public appearances, low profile mark Ra\u00fal Castro\u2019s life since stepping down as Cuba\u2019s president"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

HAVANA (AP) \u2014 Former President Ra\u00fal Castro was last seen surrounded by tens of thousands of people attending a state-organized rally for International Workers\u2019 Day along Havana\u2019s famed seawall.<\/p>\n

Read more Serbia\u2019s protesting students renew pressure on Vucic with a big weekend rally<\/a><\/p>\n

The 94-year-old stood tall and unwavering under a warming sun, even as some people nearby fainted before the May 1 event began. Standing behind him was his security detail, led by grandson Ra\u00fal Guillermo Rodr\u00edguez Castro.<\/p>\n

It was a rare public appearance for the last Castro from the revolutionary era. While he is believed to wield significant influence over the government, he maintains a low profile even as general of Cuba\u2019s army.<\/p>\n

He was in the spotlight Wednesday, when U.S. prosecutors unveiled an indictment that accuses Castro of ordering the 1996 shootdown of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles. The charges include murder and destruction of an airplane. Castro was minister of defense at the time. <\/p>\n

The indictment and remarks Thursday by U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed fears of a possible U.S. military intervention in Cuba, much like what happened in Venezuela in early January.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe expect that he will show up here, by his own will or by another way,\u201d acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in announcing the charges against the former Cuban president during a press conference in Miami.<\/p>\n

Cuba\u2019s socialist government condemned the indictment and prepared to hold a rally Friday to honor Castro, who turns 95 on Jan. 3. Protests were planned Friday morning in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cuban people reaffirm that neither threats, nor blockade, nor energy embargo, nor false accusations will be able to break the will of an entire people in defense of their Revolution,\u201d read a statement published by state media.<\/p>\n

It is not known if Castro will attend Friday\u2019s event. <\/p>\n

Castro is rarely seen in public<\/h3>\n

In July 1953, Castro was arrested in Cuba after being accused of armed rebellion following a failed assault against military barracks. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison but was released two years later following a political amnesty. He then left for Mexico and helped organize the revolution.<\/p>\n

Read more Canes fall to Canadiens in Game 1 of Eastern Conference Final<\/a><\/p>\n

He married a guerrilla fighter, Vilma Esp\u00edn, in the 1960s and the couple had four children. Little else is know about Castro\u2019s private life: He is considered a family man and officially resides west of Havana.<\/p>\n

Even during his years as defense minister under his late brother, Fidel Castro, and later as president, his routine stood out for its discretion: no agendas, official ceremonies, or public or family gatherings.<\/p>\n

Since stepping down and handing over to President Miguel D\u00edaz-Canel, Ra\u00fal Castro has rarely been seen in public. He wears his signature olive-green military uniform when greeting visiting dignitaries. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe still has influence, and the leadership seeks his opinion on major decisions, but he is not running the government on a day-to-day basis,\u201d said William LeoGrande, a political scientist at American University in Washington.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the U.S. were to abduct him, it would not change the operations of government, unlike what happened in Venezuela,\u201d LeoGrande said.<\/p>\n

U.S., Cuba tensions worsen<\/h3>\n

The indictment against Ra\u00fal Castro has deepened tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, which recently announced that its oil reserves had run dry because of an ongoing U.S. energy blockade.<\/p>\n

The island\u2019s crises have worsened since the Jan. 3 U.S. invasion of Venezuela, which halted critical oil shipments from the South American country. Then in late January, Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.<\/p>\n

Top Trump aides \u2014 including Rubio, CIA chief John Ratcliffe and other senior national security officials \u2014 have met with Cuban officials in recent months to explore improving relations. But the U.S. side has come away unimpressed from those talks, leading to more sanctions imposed on the Cuban government in the past week.<\/p>\n

Read more Canadiens pounce on Hurricanes early in 6-2 win to open Eastern Conference Final<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

HAVANA (AP) \u2014 Former President Ra\u00fal Castro was last seen surrounded by tens of thousands…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nRare public appearances, low profile mark Ra\u00fal Castro\u2019s life since stepping down as Cuba\u2019s president - Raleigh Moving News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=1085\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rare public appearances, low profile mark Ra\u00fal Castro\u2019s life since stepping down as Cuba\u2019s president - 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