US Offers Cuba Millions in Aid While Increasing Pressure on Government

Background on the 1996 Plane Shootdown

Raúl Castro, then defense minister, allegedly gave the order to shoot down the planes. This is based on statements from US congressmen and an audio recording in which Castro instructs pilots to shoot the planes down "over the sea."

The Cuban government claims the shootdown occurred in Cuban airspace, while the US maintains it happened in international airspace. Investigations by the International Civil Aviation Organization confirmed the US version.

The incident led to a dramatic deterioration in bilateral relations. US President Bill Clinton subsequently signed the Helms-Burton Act, which codified the US embargo against Cuba into law.

Since January, the US has blocked oil shipments to Cuba, leading to a severe supply crisis. Additionally, recent sanctions have been imposed on the power circle around Raúl Castro.

Current Tensions Between the US and Cuba

Raúl Castro, who will turn 95 in June, remains a key figure in the Cuban regime. His grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, is seen as a potential successor.

The families of the victims of the shootdown received $93 million from frozen Cuban assets in the US after Cuba refused to pay compensation.

Cuba’s government, in turn, is demanding billions in compensation from the US for damages caused by the decades-long embargo. The Helms-Burton Act can only be repealed by the US Congress after a democratic transition of power occurs in Cuba.