Former Cuban President Raúl Castro, 95, reappeared at a military ceremony marking the Personal Security Directorate's anniversary—his first public outing since hospitalization reports. State TV showed over 10 minutes of footage and noted his grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, who reportedly engaged in earlier talks with U.S. officials that have since stalled. The Cuban government has not confirmed Castro's illness; meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice filed murder charges in June over a 1996 plane-downing incident. Observers say U.S. energy and financial measures have deepened an ongoing economic crisis.
Raúl Castro Reappears at Military Ceremony After Hospitalization Reports
Former Cuban President Raúl Castro appears publicly after hospitalization
Former Cuban President Raúl Castro, 95, made his first public appearance since reports of a serious hospitalization when he attended a military ceremony on Saturday marking the anniversary of the Personal Security Directorate.
Cuban state television aired more than 10 minutes of footage late Saturday showing Castro in his customary olive-green uniform, accompanied by his bodyguard and his grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro. State broadcasters noted that Castro's previous public outing was on Aug. 13.
The broadcast also said Castro's grandson had taken part earlier this year in discussions with U.S. officials. Those conversations came after the United States imposed oil and financial measures on the island in January; the talks have since stalled amid a rise in sanctions. Officials from both Havana and Washington acknowledged the discussions occurred, but no formal agenda or substantive details have been released.
Castro—who no longer holds an official government post or a party role—rarely appears in public. His absence from a July rally marking the revolution's main anniversary intensified speculation about his health. Last week, reports surfaced that he had been hospitalized with a grave illness; those reports, first published by the Miami-based Diario Las Américas and attributed to a source close to Castro, were not confirmed by the Cuban government.
In a separate development, the U.S. Department of Justice filed murder charges in June against Castro in connection with the 1996 downing of light aircraft belonging to an anti-Castro organization. The planes had entered Cuban airspace during a campaign intended to increase pressure on the Cuban government.
Cuban television showed Castro walking with senior military officials and taking a front-row seat inside the venue. He stood on several occasions to receive a commemorative certificate and to greet attendees.
"It is an honor to participate alongside Army General (Raúl Castro) in the ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of the Personal Security Directorate," President Miguel Díaz-Canel wrote on X on Sunday, attaching photos from the event.
Observers say recent U.S. energy and financial measures have exacerbated a five-year economic crisis on the island, contributing to widespread hardship, including blackouts that in some areas have lasted more than 30 hours.
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