On 15th Anniversary of Brothers to the Rescue Shootdown, Rivera Renews Call for Indictment of Castro Brothers

Miami, Fla.- On February 24, 1996, four Americans were killed when two Brothers to the Rescue planes were shot down in international airspace by Cuban MiG fighter planes on orders from the Castro dictatorship.

Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales were killed that day while on a peaceful humanitarian assistance mission as part of a Brothers to the Rescue flight. 

Congressman David Rivera (FL-25) released the following statement on the anniversary of the shootdown:

“Fifteen years ago, four Americans were murdered by the Castro dictatorship.  These four brave men gave their lives as part of an effort to deliver aid and hope to people living under the control of a tyrannical dictator.  They are part of a 52 year-long line of men and women who have sacrificed their health, their well-being, their families and their lives to take a stand for basic human rights, freedoms and democratic privileges in the face of a communist regime. 

“As we remember Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales, we must continue to call for the pilots of the Cuban MiG jets, and for Raul Castro himself, to be brought to justice.  Fifteen years ago, Raul Castro gave the order that brought down the Brothers to the Rescue planes, and he faced no consequences.  For the last 14 months he and his brother have held an American citizen, Alan Gross, hostage for distributing humanitarian assistance on the island. Instead of being penalized for repeated attacks on American citizens and residents, the Castro brothers have most recently been rewarded through unilateral concessions from the Obama administration in the form of relaxed restrictions on travel and remittances to Cuba.

“Human rights atrocities in Cuba against both Americans and Cubans continue.  One year ago, we lost Cuban dissident Orlando Zapata Tamayo after an 83 day hunger strike, and today his mother, Reina Luisa Tamayo Dangier, is being harassed and detained by the Castro regime for voicing her opinion against the dictatorship.

 “The Castro regime resorts to violence to instill fear because they know it is the only way they can hope to maintain control.  Fidel and Raul Castro need to be held accountable for their human rights violations, not rewarded.  The Obama administration needs to do more, beginning with revoking the recent concessions given to the Castro dictatorship and indicting the Castro brothers for their murderous role in the Brothers to the Rescue shootdown.   This will send a clear message that acts of terror and repression are not acceptable or tolerable.”