Cuba's government strongly denounced a recent arrest warrant issued by the state of Florida against former Cuban President Raul Castro, characterizing the move as a politically motivated maneuver tied to the longstanding U.S. embargo on the island. The warrant, issued on Monday, was criticized by Cuban officials as lacking legal merit and serving as a tool to advance anti-Cuban political agendas.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned the action on the social media platform X, describing it as a “reprehensible action” carried out in a “pathetic Miami circus” with an underlying electoral motivation. He asserted that the warrant lacks both legal and practical justification and framed it primarily as a political tactic aimed at undermining Castro and the Cuban government. Diaz-Canel further linked the measure to broader challenges faced by the United States in defending its economic blockade and what he referred to as the “collective punishment” of the Cuban population.

Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez also criticized the arrest warrant on X, labeling it a “sterile maneuver” orchestrated by opposition politicians in South Florida. He dismissed the accusations against Raul Castro as “hackneyed and baseless,” accusing those behind the warrant of engaging in deceptive fundraising efforts by exploiting anti-Cuban sentiment. Rodriguez described the individuals involved as epitomizing political corruption and moral decline.

The U.S. warrant comes amid ongoing tensions between the two countries, with relations marked by decades of antagonism, economic sanctions, and diplomatic friction. Cuban authorities maintain that such legal actions are attempts to undermine their sovereignty and continue what they describe as a hostile U.S. policy toward the island. No further details have been released regarding the specific charges or legal grounds cited in the Florida warrant.