Russia and China supported the Cuban dictatorship following the Trump administration's indictment of Raúl Castro.

Russia and China condemned the United States' decision to charge former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro with murder and accused Washington of using political and judicial pressure mechanisms against one of its main allies in Latin America. The reaction from Moscow and Beijing has once again placed Cuba at the center of a growing geopolitical dispute marked by sanctions, diplomatic tensions, and an increasingly deepening economic deterioration on the island.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced charges against Castro and five others involved in the downing of two civilian aircraft that occurred in 1996. The aircraft belonged to the opposition group ''Hermanos al Rescate'' and were attacked by Cuban military planes while flying between Florida and Cuba. Four people died in the incident, including three U.S. citizens.

According to U.S. authorities, Raúl Castro, who at that time was the head of the Cuban Armed Forces, had direct responsibility for the decision to shoot down the aircraft. The charges include penalties of life imprisonment and even the death penalty.

The Kremlin reacted quickly to the accusation. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov stated that the pressure exerted by Washington against Havana ''borders on violence'' and argued that such measures should not be applied against current or former heads of state. Moscow described the indictment as an unacceptable political maneuver and reiterated its support for the Cuban regime.

China also came to the island's defense. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun, accused the United States of turning sanctions and the judicial system into instruments of international coercion. Beijing stated that it opposes any attempt to exert pressure on Cuba ''under any pretext'' and urged Washington to abandon threats of force.

The stance of Russia and China has generated strong criticism for the double standard with which both governments tend to address international conflicts. Neither of them referred to the victims of the 1996 downing nor to the historical demand for justice pushed by families and sectors of the Cuban exile community in the United States. Instead, they focused their statements on denouncing U.S. foreign policy and defending a strategic ally.

International specialists believe that both Moscow and Beijing seek to prevent a weakening of the Cuban regime, one of their historical partners in Latin America. For Russia, Havana represents a key point of political influence against the United States, especially amid the growing confrontation with the West over the war in Ukraine. China, for its part, maintains significant economic and diplomatic interests in the region and considers Cuba a relevant piece to expand its global presence.

The crisis also occurs at an extremely delicate moment for the Cuban economy. In recent months, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump tightened sanctions against the island's energy, financial, and security sectors. Restrictions on oil supply have worsened fuel shortages and caused massive blackouts and food supply issues.

Washington also increased political pressure on the Cuban government following the capture in January of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, detained by U.S. forces in Caracas after a federal accusation related to drug trafficking. Since then, Trump has hinted on several occasions that Cuba could face a similar scenario if it continues to be considered a threat to U.S. national security.

The Secretary of State Marco Rubio avoided detailing whether Washington will attempt to physically bring Raúl Castro to U.S. justice, although he stated that the former Cuban tyrant ''admits and boasts'' of having ordered the attack against the aircraft. Rubio assured that the White House prefers a negotiated solution with Havana, although he left open the possibility of adopting more forceful measures.

For his part, the current Cuban dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel described the accusation against Castro as ''a politically unfounded maneuver'' and accused Washington of using the judicial system for diplomatic pressure purposes. The Cuban regime has been in talks with U.S. officials for months to try to ease tensions, although without concrete results so far.

Meanwhile, the support from Russia and China appears as one of the main international supports for Cuba in the face of the tightening of U.S. policy. However, the growing economic isolation of the island and the diplomatic escalation between the powers anticipate an increasingly unstable scenario in the Caribbean.