NewzHAVANA, Cuba (AFP)—Veteran Cuban leader Raul Castro appeared in public for the first time in months Thursday, attending an event in Havana to mark the centenary celebration of his brother Fidel's birth. The 95-year-old head of the Cuban armed forces and former president -- who was recently indicted by the United States -- appeared at the event dressed in olive-green military uniform, AFP reporters witnessed. He received a standing ovation as he entered the Karl Marx theatre.
Castro is the last surviving leader of Cuba's 1959 revolution and seen as still wielding power, despite stepping down as president in 2018. He last appeared in public at a May 1 event in front of the US embassy in Havana, where he appeared frail, and was shown on state television during another event in early June. In May, he was indicted by a court in the US state of Florida on four counts of murder.
The charges related to the downing of US civilian planes by Cuban forces on February 24, 1996. The United States has set up an energy embargo of the communist-ruled island, demanding a change in government and deep economic and political reform. The crisis and years of poor maintenance have fuelled rolling blackouts and shortages of basic goods.
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