Exile leaders renew push for justice in 1996 Cuba plane shootdown

Añadido: 2026-05-19

[00:00:02]The voice of Raul Castro crackles from a laptop in Miami near the living room rocking chair of Brothers to the Rescue founder Jose Basulto. We were attacked by Cuban MIGs. The family says the audio clip documents the communist leaders order to open fire on the humanitarian group's planes in 1996.

[00:00:22]As they flew over the Florida Straits searching to help Cubans at sea fleeing the island. When the MIGs attacked, I saw uh to the right window of the plane black smoke.

[00:00:35]Killing four people. Our brothers. So, we suffered. They might be indicted for it all these years later. What goes through your mind? It was about time.

[00:00:44]It's 30 years. If it does happen, it's an act of justice. They savagely uh massacred these four young men. They were my very good friends, my brothers.

[00:00:54]I think of them daily. Dr. Orlando Gutierrez Boronat, secretary general of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, joining us by Zoom from Honduras, where he says they have been meeting with high-ranking government officials to build Latin American consensus on freedom for Cuba. The consensus should be that fundamental political change takes place in Cuba.

[00:01:13]That the dictatorship ends, that political prisoners are released. And of course, we are in fluid communication with the US State Department as the United States is the the main ally of the Cuban people in their fight for freedom.

[00:01:25]And he adds that in his view, the first step is the entire Castro family needs to leave. Reporting live for you, I'm Christina Vazquez, Local 10 News.