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Raúl Castro attends Havana security ceremony
The former Cuban president’s first public appearance since health rumors was broadcast from Havana.
What happened
Raúl Castro attended a ceremony in Havana marking the Personal Security Directorate’s anniversary, in footage aired by state television. He appeared with President Miguel Díaz-Canel and his grandson Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro. The event followed media and social-media rumors outside Cuba about his health, including claims of hospitalization or death.
Numbers
- 65 yearsDirectorate anniversary marked at ceremony
- 95 yearsCastro’s age at appearance
- 32 deathsCubans cited in Castro’s letter — Deaths occurred in January
Questions
- What does the Personal Security Directorate do?
- It protects Cuba’s senior leaders, and Raúl Castro helped found the body with his brother Fidel decades ago.
- Why was the televised footage closely watched?
- The broadcast showed him walking, sitting, standing and accepting a commemorative diploma before military attendees at the ceremony.
- What did Castro’s letter mention?
- The letter praised the directorate and referred to Cubans who died in January while protecting Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
- What wider pressure did the letter cite?
- Coverage linked those remarks to Cuba’s economic situation, US sanctions, and an oil blockade imposed since January this year.
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The catch
The broadcast confirms a public appearance, not the broader state of Castro’s health.