Venezuelan Socialist Party Defends Raúl Castro Amid Arrest Warrant

The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) publicly condemned the arrest warrant issued by a Florida judge against Cuba’s aging communist leader, Raúl Castro, reaffirming their loyalty to the Castro regime.

In a statement shared on their website and social media, the PSUV argued that the warrant against the 95-year-old dictator lacks legal justification, violates international law, and aims to “undermine” Cuba’s sovereignty. They portrayed the warrant as part of a broader campaign of economic blockade and called for collective action in Latin America and the Caribbean to lift the “siege” on Cuba.

The PSUV emphasized its commitment to respecting Cuba’s sovereignty and the Cuban people’s right to independence and self-determination in their conclusion.

Interestingly, the statement did not come with the signature of any prominent PSUV leader. The PSUV is led by Delcy Rodríguez, who holds the title of “interim president.”

This week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the warrant against Raúl Castro based on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. Castro is accused of orchestrating the murders of four Americans—Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales—who were part of the humanitarian organization Brothers to the Rescue, which conducted operations to rescue Cubans attempting to flee the regime during the 1990s.

On February 24, 1996, the Cuban military shot down planes from Brothers to the Rescue, killing the four men, despite there being no evidence that these civilian aircraft posed any threat to Cuba. At that time, Raúl Castro was in charge of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces, under Fidel Castro’s leadership. He had previously been indicted for these murders earlier this year.

While the PSUV, a long-standing ally of Cuba, voiced support for Castro, neither Rodríguez nor any other high-ranking officials, such as Diosdado Cabello, the PSUV Secretary-General, publicly expressed solidarity with him at this time.

This public silence from Venezuelan leadership contrasts sharply with the typical rhetoric that has characterized their past positions on Cuba during U.N. gatherings. For instance, in September, Rodríguez did not extend any supportive messages to the Castro regime, instead calling for an end to the U.S. embargo on Cuba, which marked a significant deviation from prior statements.

Rodríguez has also remained silent regarding recent torture allegations against her former boss, Nicolás Maduro, who was deposed by a U.S. law enforcement operation in January. Her cooperation with the United States—once labeled an “enemy” by the PSUV—seems to have created tension within the party’s far-left factions, as it conflicts with decades of “anti-imperialist” messaging dominant in Venezuelan socialist rhetoric.

Interestingly, Rodríguez is the daughter of Jorge Antonio Rodríguez, a Venezuelan Marxist involved in the kidnapping of American businessman William F. Niehous in the 1970s. She had previously stated that implementing socialism in Venezuela was, in part, a means of seeking “personal revenge” for her father’s death.