News of the U.S. indictment of former Cuban president Raúl Castro on charges of murder circulated slowly within Cuba due to widespread power outages and unreliable communication networks across the island. The indictment, announced on Wednesday, accuses Mr. Castro of involvement in the 1996 downing of two planes operated by the group Brothers to the Rescue, resulting in four deaths, including three U.S. citizens.

The fuel shortages that triggered rolling blackouts and hindered information flow have compounded the hardships faced by many Cubans. The population is enduring worsening economic conditions marked by food scarcity and a growing health crisis, exacerbated after the Trump administration significantly curtailed Cuba’s oil imports earlier this year.

Reactions among Cubans who learned of the indictment were mixed. Some viewed the charges as a potential step toward increased pressure on the Cuban government, while others questioned their legitimacy, arguing the government’s actions were taken in defense of national airspace. Others expressed frustration with the longstanding political situation and the continuing hardship under both domestic rule and external sanctions.

“This has to change,” said Yoandy Benítez Ramirez, a 24-year-old tobacco factory worker in Havana, summing up a widespread sense of exhaustion with the status quo. Meanwhile, 27-year-old delivery driver Yasiel Lugones vocalized a desire for a complete overhaul of the political leadership, specifically naming the Castro family as needing to step down.

Speculation among some Cubans centered on whether the indictment might presage a more direct U.S. intervention, especially given recent precedent with Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. However, no indication of impending military action against Cuba has been confirmed. Some residents voiced concern about the risks of such an approach. “There is always collateral damage,” cautioned Frank Alejandro Font, a mechanical engineer in Havana.

The Cuban government swiftly condemned the indictment. President Miguel Díaz-Canel characterized the U.S. action as politically motivated and baseless, warning it was part of a broader strategy potentially aimed at military aggression against Cuba.

Despite significant economic strain prompting a series of protests, experts suggest these demonstrations are unlikely to escalate into a widespread uprising capable of toppling the regime. Reliable public opinion polling within Cuba remains limited, though a recent voluntary survey by a Cuban news site found that a majority of respondents, both on the island and abroad, expressed support for possible U.S. military intervention. Scholars caution that this reflects more a state of desperation than genuine enthusiasm for foreign intervention.

“I don’t think it means that Cubans relish the idea of a foreign power coming in and fixing their problems,” said Michael J. Bustamante, professor of Cuban and Cuban American Studies at the University of Miami. “But I think people are at such a level of exasperation, desperation, they’ll take help from wherever they can get it.”

Some Cuban citizens are urging clarity or decisive action from the United States. “If they are going to go in, they should come in,” said 70-year-old retiree Raúl Cardoso. “And if not, they should stop talking so much.”