The deadly plane attack at the centre of Castro's indictment

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. The deadly plane attack at the centre of Castro's indictment2 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleAtahualpa AmeriseBBC News MundoGetty ImagesCarlos Costa was one of the four activists who died in the attack by CubaThe fatal crash of two planes off the coast of Florida more than 30 years ago is at the heart of the criminal charges against Cuba's former leader Raúl Castro the US revealed on Wednesday. The attack by the Cuban military on a civilian plane sparked one of the biggest crises between Cuba and the US, with effects lasting to this day. Cuban fighter jets shot down the two small planes - which belonged to a group of Cuban exiles in Miami - in the waterway between the Caribbean island nation and the US state of Florida, with all four on board killed instantly.

The attack was met with strong international condemnation, including against Raúl Castro, who was Cuba's armed forces minister at the timeIt led to the US tightening sanctions against his brother Fidel Castro's regime, and dashed any immediate possibility of dialogue between Cuba and US President Bill Clinton's administration. Follow latest as Castro indictedRaúl Castro - Fidel Castro's brother - formally relinquished the presidency of Cuba and the leadership of the Communist Party in 2021, but is still considered by many to be the most powerful man in the country. The indictment comes at a particularly delicate time for the island.

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It is mired in economic and energy crises following recent pressure from Donald Trump's administration and the loss of support from Venezuela after former leader Nicolás Maduro's fall in January. Thousands flee Cuba amid blackouts and food shortagesThe aircraft attack took place during a profound economic crisis that struck Cuba in the 1990s after the collapse of its main economic supporter, the Soviet Union. The island was plunged into extreme economic emergency, with blackouts, food shortages, and a lack of fuel.

That crisis, which many compare to the current one, prompted thousands of Cubans to attempt to leave the island to reunite with family members in the US. "Suddenly, everyone started looking for anything that floated to try to reach Florida," Cuban historian and former diplomat Juan Antonio Blanco explained to Mundo. The organisation Brothers to the Rescue soon emerged in Miami, founded by Cuban exiles and led by José Basulto.

The group began conducting flights over the Straits of Florida, searching for makeshift boats carrying Cuban migrants. Getty ImagesThousands fled on boats like this one - the photo was taken by Brothers to the Rescue "We tried to find them, mark their position, and give it to the US Coast Guard so they could rescue them," Basulto, 85-year-old leader of Brothers to the Rescue, told Mundo. They also dropped water and food to the rafters.

But, over time, they went even further.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.