Global Pulse

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  • Senators from both parties push Hegseth for action on Ukraine aid

    Senators from both parties push Hegseth for action on Ukraine aid

    WASHINGTON — A cross-party coalition of U.S. senators is escalating pushback against the Department of Defense over unfulfilled congressional mandates to disburse $600 million in approved security assistance to Ukraine and three Baltic allies, delivering a formal demand letter Friday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth calling for the immediate release of the allocated funding. The standoff marks a deepening rift between Capitol Hill and the Trump administration, as lawmakers from both major political parties are demanding transparency and action on funding that was formally appropriated by Congress in the previous year: $400 million earmarked explicitly for Ukrainian defense capabilities, and an additional $200 million for regional defense programming in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Notably, even members of President Donald Trump’s own party have openly expressed frustration with the administration’s growing strategic disengagement from Ukraine and other Eastern European partner nations.

    In the joint letter led by top Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and senior Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the lawmakers laid out the urgent case for unblocking the assistance: “Ukraine has persistently and bravely repelled a four-year Russian onslaught, but its military needs and deserves continued American support.” Four additional lawmakers — Republican Sens. Kevin Cramer and Thom Tillis, along with Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and Catherine Cortez Masto — added their signatures to the bipartisan appeal.

    Weeks ago during a public congressional hearing, Hegseth informed lawmakers that the Ukraine funding had already been “released” and that a full spending outline would be delivered to Congress by mid-May. However, the senators confirm the Pentagon has missed its self-imposed May 15 deadline to share the mandated spending plan, prompting the formal protest.

    The coalition warned that further holdups carry severe strategic consequences, particularly amid reported plans for additional U.S. troop drawdowns in the region: “Any further delays — particularly as the Department reportedly plans troubling U.S. troops withdrawals from the region — risks our ability to adequately deter Russia.”

    This letter is the most recent public display of growing Republican discontent with the Trump administration within the Senate, coming on the heels of a week that saw the president endorse a primary challenger against incumbent Texas Sen. John Cornyn, a move that alienated dozens of sitting GOP lawmakers. In a public social media exchange with President Trump on Friday, Tillis pointed to the administration’s approach to Ukraine as one of several policies harming the Republican Party politically, specifically criticizing the White House for “Firing our very best generals and not holding Putin accountable for his systematic kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of Ukrainian civilians.”

    Multiple Senate Republicans have also broken with Hegseth over his firing last month of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, a senior officer who had led efforts to update the Army’s battlefield doctrine to integrate modern drone warfare and had collaborated closely with Ukrainian military forces to incorporate battlefield lessons from the ongoing war.

    On the House side of Congress, a Democratic-led proposal that would impose sweeping new sanctions on Russia and authorize an additional $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine has been gaining traction among cross-party lawmakers. While the full House package is considered unlikely to pass into law in the current legislative session, it has amplified the growing pressure from Capitol Hill for sustained U.S. backing for Ukraine’s defense effort.

    Though the $400 million in blocked aid to Ukraine makes up a small share of the multi-billion dollar assistance packages Congress authorized in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the standoff over the funding has taken on outsized symbolic importance for lawmakers as a public test of ongoing U.S. commitment to Kyiv and regional security in Eastern Europe.

  • Pakistan military chief arrives in Tehran in push to end Iran war

    Pakistan military chief arrives in Tehran in push to end Iran war

    Nearly three months after a fragile ceasefire paused the open conflict between the US-Israeli alliance and Iran that ignited on February 28, top Pakistani military commander Asim Munir touched down in Tehran on Friday, stepping into the most high-profile mediation effort to date to lock in a permanent end to the devastating regional war. As Islamabad holds the official mediator role for talks between the two adversarial sides, the visit comes as Iran evaluates a new American peace proposal that has sparked cautious optimism from Washington — even as Iranian officials warn deep divisions remain far from resolved.

  • Trump wants new Fed chair to be ‘totally independent’

    Trump wants new Fed chair to be ‘totally independent’

    At a historic White House swearing-in ceremony held Friday, former President Donald Trump publicly called on newly inaugurated Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh to maintain full institutional independence from political pressure, a remark that comes amid long-simmering tensions between the Trump administration and the central bank over monetary policy.

    This event marked the first time a Fed chair has taken the oath of office at the White House since Alan Greenspan’s 1987 swearing-in, a choice that underscores the high stakes the Trump administration places on Warsh’s appointment. The new chairman replaces Jerome Powell, with whom Trump repeatedly clashed publicly over the course of his previous tenure. For months leading up to the nomination, Trump openly pressured Powell and the Fed board to cut interest rates, arguing that looser monetary policy would unlock stronger economic growth. Trump even went as far as to tie support for immediate rate reductions to eligibility for the top Fed job.

    Despite that pressure, the Federal Reserve has stood firm against the administration’s demands, holding interest rates steady between 3.5% and 3.75% in April as policymakers assess the inflationary fallout of the ongoing US-Israel conflict and escalating tensions in Iran. Current economic projections from most analysts indicate rates will remain at this level through the remainder of 2026, with a smaller share of economists even predicting a possible rate hike to combat persistent inflation. Higher interest rates work to cool overheated inflation by raising borrowing costs for households and businesses, which in turn slows excessive consumer spending.

    During Friday’s ceremony, Trump pushed back against widespread criticism of his pick, telling the audience that “no one in America is better prepared” than Warsh to steer the nation’s central bank. “I really mean this, I want Kevin to totally independent. Don’t look at me, don’t look at anybody, just do your own thing and do a great job, okay,” Trump stated. He added that he expects Warsh to guide the U.S. economy into a new period of sustained expansion, arguing that the Fed “lost its way” under Powell’s leadership. Trump specifically criticized the previous Fed leadership for devoting resources to issues outside of its core statutory mandates of stable prices, controlled inflation, and maximum employment, naming climate change and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as misplaced policy priorities.

    Critics of the appointment, however, have raised alarms that Warsh will act as a political proxy for the Trump administration. Senior Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren was among the most prominent voices of opposition, warning that the former Wall Street banker would be nothing more than a “sock puppet” for the president. The combination of political skepticism and ongoing economic uncertainty leaves Warsh facing an extremely delicate balancing act as he takes office: he must navigate a deeply fractured U.S. economic landscape while proving to skeptical lawmakers and the public that he can keep the Fed free from White House political interference.

    For his part, Warsh struck an optimistic tone in his inaugural remarks on Friday, committing to lead a “reform-oriented” Federal Reserve. He told Trump he believes his tenure can deliver “unmatched prosperity that will raise living standards for Americans from all walks of life.”

  • US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard resigns

    US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard resigns

    In a sudden announcement that has shaken the upper ranks of the Trump administration, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed Friday she will step down from her post, effective June 30, to stand beside her husband as he fights a newly diagnosed rare form of bone cancer. The departure also closes out a turbulent tenure defined by longstanding ideological clashes with the president over his push for war with Iran, a rift that left the nation’s top intelligence coordinator increasingly sidelined from key national security decisions in recent months.

    In a public letter to Trump posted to the social platform X, the 45-year-old laid out the deeply personal reason for her exit, writing, “My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.” Gabbard’s role centered on coordinating global intelligence data and presenting consolidated national security assessments to the president.

    President Trump responded to the announcement with praise for Gabbard, one of the only remaining women in his cabinet, via his Truth Social platform. “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her,” he wrote, noting that her desire to support her husband through cancer treatment was rightful. He also confirmed that Gabbard’s deputy, Aaron Lukas, will step into the role as acting Director of National Intelligence following her departure.

    Gabbard’s appointment to lead the sprawling U.S. intelligence apparatus was controversial from the start. A former Democrat and Iraq War veteran who served in the Army National Guard, her deployment experience shaped a long career of opposition to U.S. foreign military interventions, a stance that put her at odds with administration policy long before the current conflict with Iran. Most notably, she repeatedly voiced public opposition to launching a war against Iran, and grew increasingly isolated from Trump’s inner circle as he moved forward with strikes.

    Multiple reports indicate Gabbard was excluded from high-level strategy meetings in the immediate lead-up to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran launched February 28. After the war began, she repeatedly declined to back key administration justifications for the attack. She refused to endorse Trump’s claim that Iran posed an imminent military threat, the core assessment the administration used to justify the strikes. When testifying before Congress, she emphasized that the final call for military action rested solely with the president. Gabbard also contradicted another key administration justification, confirming U.S. intelligence had concluded Iran was not rebuilding the nuclear enrichment facilities destroyed in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes the previous year.

    Beyond her disagreements over Iran policy, Gabbard has long faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over past controversial positions. Her 2017 meeting with deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad drew widespread scrutiny, and she has been accused of spreading Kremlin-aligned propaganda, including false conspiracy theories regarding the war in Ukraine. She also faced cross-partisan suspicion for her support of NSA leaker Edward Snowden, whose disclosures of secret U.S. surveillance programs were widely viewed as compromising American national security.

    Beyond her public service, Gabbard, a Hawaii native, was raised in the Hindu tradition by her mother, who converted to the faith; her first name, Tulsi, references a plant considered sacred in Hinduism, and she has been a vegetarian her entire life. She married Abraham, a Hawaii-based cinematographer, after the pair met while filming her campaign advertisements, and he proposed to her during a sunset surf session.

  • Tulsi Gabbard resigns as US director of national intelligence

    Tulsi Gabbard resigns as US director of national intelligence

    In a sudden announcement that has rippled through U.S. political and intelligence circles, former U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has confirmed she will resign her post in the second Trump administration, citing an urgent personal crisis: her husband Abraham has recently been diagnosed with bone cancer.

    The resignation, which will take full effect on June 30, was revealed through a resignation letter obtained by CBS News, a U.S. partner of the BBC. In the heartfelt correspondence, Gabbard emphasized the foundational role her husband has played in her public life. “His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge,” she wrote, adding that she could not in good conscience leave him to navigate his cancer treatment alone while fulfilling the relentless, time-intensive demands of leading the U.S. intelligence community. “I cannot ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position,” Gabbard stated.

    Following the official confirmation of the resignation, former President Donald Trump took to social media to publicly praise Gabbard’s service. The departing intelligence chief “has done an incredible job, and we will miss her,” Trump wrote, noting that Gabbard’s choice to prioritize her family’s health is both understandable and honorable. “She rightfully, wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together. I have no doubt he will soon be better than ever,” Trump added. To ensure a smooth transition, Trump announced that Aaron Lukas, the current principal deputy director of national intelligence, will assume the role of acting director once Gabbard departs at the end of June.

    Gabbard’s tenure at the helm of U.S. intelligence was relatively short but marked by its place in a shifting U.S. foreign policy landscape. A steadfast supporter of Trump during his successful 2024 presidential comeback campaign, Gabbard was confirmed to the top intelligence post just weeks after Trump reclaimed the White House in 2025. As Director of National Intelligence, her core responsibilities included coordinating operations across 18 separate U.S. intelligence agencies and serving as the president’s primary advisor on all national security and intelligence matters, making her one of the most powerful figures in the U.S. national security apparatus.

    Notably, Gabbard has remained largely out of the public eye in recent months, even as the Trump administration oversaw a series of high-stakes foreign policy actions: expanded military operations against Iran, increased diplomatic and economic pressure on Cuba, and the controversial removal of Venezuela’s sitting president. Her sudden departure from the role adds a new layer of uncertainty to the administration’s intelligence leadership as it continues to advance its aggressive global policy agenda.

  • Ebola risk now at highest level in DR Congo, says WHO

    Ebola risk now at highest level in DR Congo, says WHO

    On Friday, the World Health Organization announced it has upgraded the Ebola outbreak risk assessment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the highest possible level — very high — as confirmed cases and deaths from the rare virus strain continue to climb faster than response teams can contain.

    Current official figures from the WHO place the count of confirmed Ebola cases at 82, with seven confirmed fatalities. When including suspected cases, those numbers jump to nearly 750 potential infections and 172 suspected deaths. WHO leaders emphasize that the true size of the epidemic is already far larger than the confirmed case count, as the virus circulated undetected for weeks before being identified.

    The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, an uncommon variant that has no specifically approved vaccines or antiviral treatments currently available to combat it. This critical gap in medical countermeasures has forced the global health body to fast-track testing of existing experimental treatments to assess their effectiveness against the strain.

    Speaking to reporters at WHO headquarters in Geneva, director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation as deeply worrisome and uniquely challenging. Response teams are working in highly insecure regions of the country, scrambling to track the virus’s spread, trace close contacts of infected people, and establish full outbreak control measures. “We know the epidemic in DRC is much larger than the confirmed cases,” Tedros said.

    The outbreak is centered in the northeastern DRC’s Ituri province, where more than 1,400 contacts are currently being monitored by health teams. Anne Ancia, WHO’s representative in the DRC, reported from the field that the virus spread silently and rampantly across the region for several weeks before detection, leaving response teams in a sprint to catch up. As of now, Ancia confirmed, “the spread is not yet under control.”

    Without targeted vaccines or treatments, public health officials rely on the core Ebola control strategy of contact tracing and 21-day isolation to break chains of transmission. While rising case counts have raised alarm, WHO officials note the current increase is actually a positive sign that improved surveillance systems are working to uncover the true scale of the outbreak, rather than evidence of a sudden acceleration in new spread.

    Neighboring Uganda has so far avoided sustained community spread, with the WHO reporting a stable situation: just two confirmed cases in travelers who crossed from the DRC, and one death. Intense contact tracing efforts are credited with halting further spread in the country.

    Internationally, two U.S. citizens with links to the outbreak have been evacuated for care: one who tested positive was moved to Germany for treatment, while a second high-risk contact was transferred to the Czech Republic. The global risk level for the outbreak remains low, with regional risk assessed as high, per the WHO’s updated classification.

    Abdi Rahman Mahamud, the WHO’s director of emergency alert and response, explained the upgrade to very high risk for the DRC stemmed from three key factors: the severe threat to human health, the high potential for rapid spread, and the limited current response capacity on the ground. “The potential of this virus spreading rapidly is very high, and that changed the whole dynamic,” Mahamud noted.

    To address the gap in treatments, the WHO has fast-tracked plans for clinical trials of existing experimental drugs. The agency’s technical advisory group has prioritized two monoclonal antibodies — Regeneron’s 3479 and Mapp Biopharmaceutical’s MBP134 — for testing. It has also recommended evaluating the oral antiviral obeldesivir as a post-exposure preventive treatment for high-risk contacts. WHO chief scientist Sylvie Briand said the drug shows promise for preventing infected contacts from developing symptomatic disease.

    For vaccines, the existing widely approved Ervebo vaccine only targets the Zaire strain of Ebola, with very little evidence that it provides cross-protection against Bundibugyo. While work on a Bundibugyo-specific vaccine has begun, no doses are currently available for clinical trials, and development would likely take six to nine months even if the project is prioritized. Another candidate vaccine targeting the strain, built using the ChAdOx platform, is currently in production but has not yet completed animal testing required to move forward with human trials.

  • Newly declassified video shows fighter jet shoot down UFO

    Newly declassified video shows fighter jet shoot down UFO

    In a recent disclosure that has reignited public fascination with unexplained aerial phenomena, the U.S. government has released newly declassified footage showing a military fighter jet shooting down an unidentified flying object (UFO). The long-speculated event, once shrouded in classification barriers, has finally come into public view, but leading researchers and defense experts are already pushing back against widespread assumptions that the object came from beyond Earth.

    For decades, reports of military encounters with UFOs have circulated in fringe communities and mainstream media alike, fueled by classified government programs that explored unexplained aerial sightings across the country. This latest release marks one of the few times the federal government has publicly confirmed a hostile intercept of an unidentified object, with clear video footage capturing the sequence of the shootdown. Despite the sensational nature of the disclosure, experts who have analyzed the declassified video emphasize that the visual evidence provides no concrete confirmation that the downed craft relied on alien technology, nor does it offer any proof that extraterrestrial life was involved in the object’s origin.

    Many defense analysts have put forward alternative, more grounded explanations for the incident. Most common among these is the theory that the UFO was actually an unauthorized civilian drone, a high-altitude research balloon, or a piece of uncrewed surveillance technology developed by another nation-state. Officials have not yet confirmed any of these alternative theories, and the object’s origin remains officially unconfirmed following the video’s release.

    The declassification comes as the U.S. government has gradually increased transparency around UFO-related incidents in recent years, shifting away from the decades-long policy of dismissing or covering up unexplained sightings. A congressional mandated task force on unidentified aerial phenomena has published multiple reports in recent years, noting that the vast majority of unexplained sightings can be linked to natural atmospheric phenomena or human-made technology. This latest disclosure is expected to renew public and congressional interest in further declassification of government documents related to UFO encounters, as researchers continue to work through the backlog of classified material related to unexplained incidents.

  • Right-wing Slovenian politician confirmed as prime minister in shift from liberal government

    Right-wing Slovenian politician confirmed as prime minister in shift from liberal government

    After two months of political gridlock following a tightly contested parliamentary election, Slovenia’s national assembly has appointed veteran right-wing populist leader Janez Jansa to the post of prime minister, marking a sharp ideological shift for the small Alpine European Union member state previously led by a liberal administration.

    The 90-member legislative body cast 51 votes in favor of Jansa’s appointment, with 36 lawmakers voting against the nomination. The new prime minister-designate now has a 15-day window to put forward his proposed cabinet lineup, which will require a second confirmatory vote in parliament before the government can officially take office.

    The political stalemate that followed April’s election followed an almost evenly split result. Former liberal prime minister Robert Golob’s Freedom Movement secured a razor-thin plurality in the vote, but failed to cobble together a workable parliamentary majority to form a new government. This week, Jansa’s Slovenian Democratic Party broke the impasse by signing a formal coalition agreement with multiple aligned right-wing factions. The incoming government also secures outside support from the non-establishment Truth party, a group that originated as an anti-vaccination movement during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Friday’s appointment marks the fourth term as prime minister for the 67-year-old veteran politician, who is known for his open admiration of former U.S. President Donald Trump and long-standing close political alliance with Hungary’s populist former prime minister Viktor Orbán — who suffered a landslide election defeat just one month prior.

    In his post-appointment address to parliament, Jansa outlined his administration’s core priorities: revitalizing the national economy, cracking down on systemic corruption and bureaucratic red tape, and decentralizing state power to regional and local authorities. He has pledged to cut taxes for high-income earners and expand state support for private education and private healthcare providers. Jansa sharply criticized the outgoing liberal government for what he called widespread inefficiency, promising his leadership would transform Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted.”

    Like his political ally Orbán, Jansa adopted a hardline anti-immigration stance during the 2015 European migrant crisis, and during his 2020-2022 previous term as prime minister, he faced repeated accusations of undermining independent democratic institutions and restricting press freedom. Those allegations sparked large-scale public protests across Slovenia at the time, and triggered formal oversight scrutiny from EU institutional bodies.

    Outgoing prime minister Golob used his address to parliament to issue a stark warning about Jansa’s leadership, framing the right-wing leader as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy.” Golob also claimed Jansa had previously threatened to have him arrested, arguing that Jansa’s vision of democracy “is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

    Beyond domestic policy, Jansa is a vocal supporter of Israel, and has been a prominent critic of the outgoing Golob administration’s 2024 decision to formally recognize a Palestinian state. The April parliamentary election that set this political process in motion was marred by widespread allegations of foreign interference and campaign corruption, leaving the nation of roughly 2 million people deeply ideologically divided between liberal and conservative political blocs.

  • Deported flotilla activists allege ‘sadistic’ sexual abuse and torture in Israeli captivity

    Deported flotilla activists allege ‘sadistic’ sexual abuse and torture in Israeli captivity

    After Israel’s unauthorized raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters, hundreds of detained activists who were finally deported have come forward with harrowing accounts of widespread abuse, torture, and sexual violence during their Israeli captivity, triggering global condemnation and diplomatic backlash against the Israeli government.

    A total of 430 activists participating in the Global Sumud Flotilla, a mission to deliver humanitarian aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip, were taken into Israeli custody when Israeli military forces intercepted and raided their vessels in open international waters. On Thursday evening, all detained activists were expelled from Israel and arrived in Istanbul, with public footage capturing the group stepping off the plane clad in gray prison tracksuits and traditional Palestinian keffiyehs, raising their fists in defiance as waiting family members and supporters welcomed them home.

    Since their release, multiple activists and journalists among the group have shared detailed, consistent accounts of brutal mistreatment starting from the moment of the raid. Italian journalist Alessandro Mantovani, one of the deported detainees, spoke to reporters at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport after being transferred from Israeli custody. He described how he and other detainees were transported to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in handcuffs with heavy chains bound around their ankles before being put on a deportation flight to Athens. He confirmed that Israeli soldiers beat the group during the process, kicking and punching detainees while taunting them with the words “Welcome to Israel.”

    Israeli human rights organization Adalah, which is representing the detainees, has corroborated many of these accounts. Miriam Azem, a representative from Adalah, shared that one female activist was forced to strip naked and run while prison guards stood by laughing at her humiliation. One anonymous activist described in a recorded video interview how Israeli soldiers dragged her across the ground while her hands and feet were bound, with tight cuffs cutting off circulation and leaving her hands completely numb. She emphasized that guards acted with open cruelty, laughing throughout the abuse, adding: “They took off my shirt, took pictures. Mistreated us all night long. They were super sadistic.”

    Australian activist Juliet Lamont, one of the high-profile detainees, gave a particularly chilling account of her captivity. She said she was bound with heavy cables, subjected to water torture, and sexually assaulted by Israeli personnel. Lamont also detailed the severe harm inflicted on other detainees, noting that multiple activists suffered broken ribs, some were shot with tasers directly to the face, and many were injected with unlabeled sedative substances with no medical explanation. Online photo shares from the activists show visible bruising, cuts, and other injuries consistent with their allegations of severe beatings.

    Brazilian activist Thiago Avila, who was previously detained by Israel during an earlier aid flotilla mission, shared a video confirming that the abuse extends far beyond this latest operation, alleging that multiple activists were raped by Israeli soldiers during the detention process. Avila stated that numerous cases of sexual violence were documented, occurring both on the prison transport boats and during transfer to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

    Adalah has emphasized that the entire Israeli operation, from the unprovoked raid on civilian aid vessels in international waters to the systemic torture, humiliation, and arbitrary detention of the activists on board, amounts to a blatant violation of longstanding international law. The deportations and release of the activists come after a wave of global outrage sparked by a leaked viral video showing far-right Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir personally overseeing the abuse and humiliation of detained flotilla participants.

    The leaked footage shows Ben Gvir waving an Israeli flag while confronting bound detainees, who are being manhandled by Israel Prison Service officers and forced to kneel with their faces pressed to the ground. While the video sparked backlash within Israel, most domestic criticism focused not on the abuse itself, but on fears that the public release of the footage would severely damage Israel’s international reputation. The video also drew sharp condemnation from leaders and governments across the globe, particularly from nations whose citizens were among the detained activists.

    Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, stated publicly that he was appalled by the content of the leaked footage. In a coordinated show of diplomatic disapproval, multiple countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and France have formally summoned Israel’s top diplomatic representative to their capitals to protest the abuse of their citizens.

  • Castro backers rally in front of US embassy in Havana

    Castro backers rally in front of US embassy in Havana

    In a powerful display of national solidarity, thousands of Cubans gathered Friday outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana to rally behind 94-year-old former president Raul Castro, who was recently indicted on criminal charges by a U.S. federal court. The gathering, which included current Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel and other senior government officials dressed in military-style fatigues, echoed with the unified chant of “Long live Raul!” as attendees waved large Cuban flags and held up printed portraits of the former leader. The 94-year-old, younger brother of iconic Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro, was formally charged with murder and additional felony counts this Wednesday. The charges stem from the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by a U.S.-based anti-Castro group, a move widely framed as the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s escalating pressure campaign targeting Cuba’s communist leadership. The aging former leader, whose health has declined in recent years, did not attend the demonstration, which was held at the “Anti-Imperialist Platform” public park located directly across the street from the U.S. diplomatic mission. However, two of his children were on hand to represent the family: Mariela Castro, a prominent national legislator and LGBTQ+ rights advocate, and Alejandro Castro, a key architect of the 2015 historic rapprochement between Cuba and the U.S. negotiated during the Raul Castro administration and former U.S. president Barack Obama’s term. Raul Castro led Cuba for 15 years after assuming the presidency from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006, stepping down from the top post in 2018. His unexpected indictment has amplified widespread anxiety across Cuba that the U.S. could pursue further aggressive action to destabilize the island’s government, capping months of mounting pressure that includes a devastating oil embargo that has strained the country’s economy and critical infrastructure. These fears were amplified by the January arrest of Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolas Maduro, who was taken into custody by U.S. agents at his Caracas residence on drug trafficking charges and extradited to the U.S. to face trial. In her first public remarks from the Castro family since the indictment was announced, Mariela Castro pushed back on speculation that the U.S. would attempt to abduct her father, telling reporters she had no fear of such an outcome. “I am not afraid because I know they will not do it,” she stated, adding that when the former president is asked about the charges, “he smiles like an old guerrilla fighter who knows he’s safe, with one foot in the stirrup, and that no one is going to kidnap him.” The vast majority of attendees were public sector and state enterprise employees, who said their participation was driven by a sense of patriotic duty. Gilberto Gonzalez, a 59-year-old worker at a state-run flour mill, told reporters he joined the rally to stand in solidarity with the former leader. “We are reaffirming the conviction we have to continue fighting and support our General Raul Castro, who has been unjustly accused in the United States,” Gonzalez said. Gerardo Hernandez, a former Cuban intelligence officer who was released from a U.S. prison as part of the 2015 normalization deal, delivered a personal message from Raul Castro to the assembled crowd. The former president “says he thanks our people from the bottom of his heart for their solidarity” and “that as long as he lives, he will continue to lead our people and defend our revolution,” Hernandez told the gathering.