Clock ticking down on the Castro-family communist regime in Cuba

by WorldTribune Staff, May 21, 2026 Non-AI Real World News

Trump-hating legacy media likes to pin the devastating humanitarian crisis in Cuba on the current U.S. President.

The island nation’s problems began far before Trump entered the White House.

Power cuts, the non-availability of foods and medicine, a crisis in the health system and in the supply of drinking water all happened, critics say, as the result of the communist Castro regime’s iron-fisted rule.

Raul, left, and Fidel Castro in 1964,

And the communist government never devoted 100% of the oil it received from Venezuela, Mexico and Russia to the Cuban people. Between 2024 and 2025 it is estimated that some 60% of the oil from Venezuela was re-exported to Asian markets by Cuba Metales, a corporation linked to the GAESA conglomerate.

GAESA (Grupo de Administración Empresarial, S.A.) is a massive, secretive business conglomerate operated by the Cuban military. It is estimated to control between 40% to 70% of the Cuban economy.

The proceeds of these oil sales reportedly ended up in tax havens of the conglomerate making the sales. Up to 40% was reportedly funneled back to the regime and the island’s tourism sector, which is controlled by GAESA.

What Trump did do in extracting longtime dictator Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela was set up the conditions for the communist regime in Havana to fall.

On Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced it charged former Cuban dictator Raul Castro with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, destruction of aircraft, and murder for his role in the shooting down of two civilian humanitarian planes that belonged to the group Brothers to the Rescue in 1996. At the time, Castro was Cuba’s minister of defense and ordered the attack, the DOJ said. Three U.S. citizens and a permanent resident lost their lives.

“Today marks the beginning of the end for the Castro family,” Florida Republican Rep. María Salazar said on Wednesday.

Writing for Townhall.com, Sarah Anderson noted: “Four other presidents could have done this but chose not to.”

On the same day Castro was indicted, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and its escort warships entered the southern Caribbean Sea. The Nimitz has spent the past several weeks sailing along the South American coast on a previously scheduled training deployment, in recent days conducting exercises with the Brazilian navy.

Asked if he expected any escalation following the indictment of Castro, Trump responded: “No, there won’t be escalation. I don’t think there needs to be. Look, the place is falling apart. It’s a mess. They’ve really lost control of Cuba. We’re going to help the Cuban people out. We’re freeing up Cuba.”

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez delivered Cuba’s response to the indictment of Castro:

We condemn the farce of the U.S. government in presenting an illegitimate and illegal accusation against the Leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz.

It is an act that rests on lies and conceals duly documented historical truths about the events that led to the downing, in Cuban airspace and in legitimate defense, of two aircraft belonging to the terrorist organization Brothers to the Rescue.

It seeks to reinforce the fraudulent narrative to justify the intensified aggression against the Cuban people. It is done by the same government that has been complicit in the organization and execution of terrorist and violent actions against #Cuba from its territory and that has recently committed crimes of extrajudicial executions against nearly 200 people in international waters of the Caribbean and the Pacific, for alleged links to drug trafficking operations.

Cuba will not renounce its inalienable right to legitimate defense.

We reaffirm our firm support for the Army General and our unwavering commitment to the defense of the Homeland, the Revolution, and Socialism.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement directly to the Cuban people, saying Trump “is offering a new relationship between the U.S. and Cuba”:

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