Raúl Castro Skips Cuban Revolution Anniversary as Crisis Deepens

Raúl Castro was absent from Cuba’s July 26 anniversary rally for the first time in decades, with President Díaz-Canel reading a message from him as the event in Pinar del Río commemorates the 1953 Moncada attack. The gathering underscored ongoing tensions with the United States amid sanctions and a deepening domestic crisis marked by blackouts, shortages, and declining production, while Washington credibly accuses Cuba of espionage and a U.S. indictment charges Castro over a 1996 plane downing.