Former Cuban President Raúl Castro reappears at a military event

HAVANA (AP) — Former Cuban President Raúl Castro made a surprise public appearance at a military event commemorating an army branch tasked with safeguarding the island's leaders. The 95-year-old appeared alongside his bodyguard and grandson Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, both in traditional olive-green military attire. The former leader's last public appearance was on August 13.

State television broadcast footage of the 10-minute event, which took place on Saturday night. Castro's grandson had recently participated in talks with the United States, but those discussions have since stopped and tensions have escalated due to the ongoing U.S. oil and financial blockade on Cuba since January. The former president, who no longer holds any official government or party positions, has been relatively scarce in public appearances.

Recently, speculation about his health has grown, particularly after his absence from a July rally marking the anniversary of the Cuban revolution's most significant celebration. In June, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Castro with murder in connection to the 1996 downing of light aircraft operated by an anti-Castro group.

The planes had violated Cuban airspace as part of the U.S. efforts to impose sanctions and pressure for political change. Cuban TV displayed Castro walking and sitting beside high-ranking military officials, receiving a commemorative certificate, and engaging with attendees during the ceremony. President Miguel Díaz-Canel praised Castro's participation in a post on X, sharing photos from the event.