CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two Charlotte pastors with ties to Cuba shared they believe the indictment of former Cuban President Raul Castro is a step in the right direction.
Earlier this week, the U.S. unsealed a superseding indictment against Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two planes that killed four men, including three Americans. He faces charges accused of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft and four counts of murder.
Camino Church Associate Pastor Amittay Rodriguez was born and raised in Cuba. He moved to the U.S. in 2009, fleeing what he refers to as political persecution.
Rodriguez, who was a doctor in his home country, crossed paths with Camino Church CEO and Founder Pastor Rusty Price in Cuba more than 30 years ago.
They are now both at Camino church and Friday, they reminisced about working together in a medical and pastoral mission.
“Since I was a doctor, we worked in a strategic way to travel through Cuba to help people with medical needs. At the same time, we also went as pastors preaching and starting churches,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez remembers some of the hardships he experienced when he lived in Cuba, including power outages that lasted 18 hours.
“Maybe the general public is thinking the power outages in Cuba are new, but it’s something that has been happening for 67 years,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez who pays close attention about news from his home country had strong feelings after the indictment of the former Cuban leader. Castro, who turns 95 next month, is accused of ordering the downing of two planes flown by Miami-based exiles.
“Despite his age, we feel a big relief in our hearts that justice is finally going to arrive for the people of Cuba,” Rodriguez said.
Price said justice is being served but doesn’t see it going beyond the indictment.
“I think it’s a thing of justice. I don’t know what’s going to happen after that in the island. Will it bring real change? I mean, he’s… 95 years old?” Price said.
President Donald Trump has been escalating talk on regime change in Cuba after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured earlier this year. The White House blocked external oil and fuel supplies to Cuba, leading to blackouts and food shortages.
Price said he doesn’t like the strategy of starving out the community.
“I’m concerned for the humanitarian crisis that’s happening in Cuba right now. It’s tragic. We have dear friends there, and they can’t get food. There’s no electricity,” Price said.
Rodriguez said while he doesn’t want Cuban people to suffer, in his perspective the blockade is the only way to pressure the communist government.
“It’s the only way because the Cuban government is the one taking ownership of all the oil and wealth that makes it into Cuba. It’s not for the Cuban people,” Rodriguez said.
The indictment gives Rodriguez hope of having a Cuba that is free at last.
“When we see the hope that Cuba is going to be free, we have a connection to it because we may be able to return to the places where we lived and visit our friends and family,” Rodriguez said.
In his view, Rodriguez said the logical next step to generate change is to extract key members of the Cuban government from the country, similarly to how Maduro was captured in Venezuela.
However, he doesn’t support military action that would bring casualties.
Some Democrats in Congress are voicing concern about this scenario in which Trump may order the military into Cuba to arrest Castro as he did in bringing Maduro.
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