Key organizations and activists tied to the CCP-linked Singham Network rapidly moved to defend former Cuban dictator Raúl Castro following this week’s Justice Department indictment tied to the 1996 shootdown of civilian aircraft flown by Brothers to the Rescue.
The indictment, unveiled by the United States Department of Justice, charges Castro and others in connection with the deaths of four men after Cuban MiG fighter jets destroyed two civilian planes over international waters near Cuba nearly three decades ago. Prosecutors said the aircraft were outside Cuban territory and heading away from the island when they were attacked.
In response, a collection of far-left organizations linked to Marxist businessman Neville Roy Singham quickly launched a coordinated public campaign condemning the indictment and echoing talking points from the Cuban Communist government.
Among the groups defending Castro were Party for Socialism and Liberation, The People’s Forum, Code Pink, and Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research.
Code Pink, co-founded by Singham’s wife Jodie Evans, accused the Trump administration of fabricating the case to justify military action against Cuba.
“They’re not seeking justice for a downed flight. The Trump administration is fabricating a pretext for military intervention,” the group said after Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment.
Code Pink later called the indictment a “sham” and defended Cuba’s actions in shooting down the civilian aircraft. The group argued that “International law guarantees any country, including Cuba, the right to respond to airspace violations after exhausting diplomatic means to do so.”
The DOJ indictment, however, alleges the planes were flying over international waters and that the pilots received no warning before being destroyed by the Cuban military.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation similarly condemned the charges, describing them as “a transparent pretext for escalating aggression against a sovereign nation.”
Its affiliated media outlet, Liberation News, argued Castro acted lawfully under international law and claimed Cuba had the right to defend its territory against “US-based terrorist groups like Brothers to the Rescue.”
Manolo De Los Santos, a top leader within the Singham-linked activist ecosystem, also praised Castro and accused the United States of hypocrisy.
“The world stands with Raul Castro, hero of the Cuban Revolution,” declared Vijay Prashad, another senior Singham Network figure who also holds a position at a Chinese Communist Party-linked think tank associated with Beijing’s United Front influence apparatus.
De Los Santos described Castro as an “incredibly courageous and revolutionary hero” and defended Cuba’s socialist system in multiple public statements.
The Singham-linked media outlet BreakThrough News also promoted interviews with Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel attacking President Donald Trump and the U.S. government while framing the indictment as an attempt to justify aggression against Cuba.
The defense of Castro is part of an alliance between the Singham Network and the Cuban regime.
Earlier this year, leaders from the People’s Forum and allied groups traveled to Havana for meetings with Díaz-Canel and publicly pledged solidarity with the Cuban Revolution.
President Trump defended the administration’s crackdown on Cuba Wednesday, accusing the regime’s leadership of enriching itself while ordinary Cubans suffer.
“While the people suffer, the regime’s kleptocratic elite have hoarded the island’s remaining resources for themselves and their lavish lifestyle,” Trump said.
“Its military leaders have demonstrated zero care for ensuring the prosperity of the Cuban people.”