Thousands of Cubans on Friday assembled outside the US embassy in Havana to protest Washington’s decision to indict former President Raúl Castro in connection with the downing of two civilian aircraft three decades ago.

Castro, 94, faces charges including murder, conspiracy to kill Americans, and destruction of aircraft linked to the incident, in which Cuban fighter jets shot down the planes over international waters.

The demonstration, which some said drew more than 200,000 people, was held outside the US Embassy in Havana. Among the senior figures attending the event was Mariela Castro, daughter of Raúl Castro.

Castro said in a message that he would continue to remain “at the forefront of the revolution with one foot in the stirrup” for as long as he lives.

The message, read by lawmaker Gerardo Hernandez, was delivered in Castro’s absence, as the 94-year-old did not attend the gathering. Hernandez also said Cuba’s response to airspace violations by exile group Brothers to the Rescue was “an act of legitimate defense.”

In a defiant speech, the former Cuban leader’s daughter said the country was prepared to “fight the enemy” at any moment, adding that “they said they were coming today ... come on, here we are waiting,” rejecting the allegations against Castro as false.

She said that “no one is going to kidnap him,” in an apparent reference to the operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to face drug-trafficking charges. The possibility of a similar move against Castro is said to have become a growing concern for the Cuban government following the indictment.

US authorities on May 20 announced federal charges against Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft that killed four people, including three US citizens.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Castro had officially been designated as “a fugitive from US justice.”

On Feb. 24, 1996, Cuban fighter jets shot down two small aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue, killing all four people on board. Cuba claimed the planes were in its airspace and justified the action as self-defense, while the US said they were over international waters, a position later supported by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which concluded the incident occurred outside Cuban airspace. (AA)

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