Rare public appearances, low profile mark Ra煤l Castro’s life since stepping down as Cuba’s president

HAVANA (AP) 鈥� Former President was last seen surrounded by tens of thousands of people attending for International Workers’ Day along Havana鈥檚 famed seawall.

The 94-year-old stood tall and unwavering under a warming sun, even as some people nearby fainted before the May 1 event began. Standing behind him was his security detail, led by grandson Ra煤l Guillermo Rodr铆guez Castro.

It was a rare public appearance for the last Castro from the revolutionary era. While he is believed to wield significant influence over the government, he maintains a low profile even as a general of army.

He was in the spotlight Wednesday when U.S. prosecutors that accuses Castro of ordering the 1996 flown by Miami-based exiles. The charges include murder and destruction of an airplane. Castro was minister of defense at the time.

The indictment and by U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed fears of a possible U.S. military intervention in Cuba, much like what happened in in early January.

鈥淲e expect that he will show up here, by his own will or by another way,鈥� acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said in announcing the charges against the former Cuban president during a press conference in Miami.

颁耻产补鈥檚 socialist government condemned the charges and held a rally Friday to honor Castro.

Thousands of people crowded into Havana鈥檚 famed seawall to demonstrate their support for him and decry the indictment against him. Ra煤l Castro did not attend, but present were his grandson and his daughter, Mariela Castro.

鈥淲ho do they think they are to judge Ra煤l?鈥� Gerardo Hern谩ndez asked as the crowd that had gathered in front of the U.S. embassy cheered. Hern谩ndez is one of five Cubans accused of being a spy who was imprisoned and later released by the U.S. in 2014.

鈥淔or the United States, the law is a tailor-made suit,鈥� he said before punching the air with this fist to a shout of 鈥淰iva Ra煤l!鈥�

The crowd responded to his call: 鈥淗omeland or death, we will vanquish!鈥�

Castro is rarely seen in public

In July 1953, Castro was arrested in Cuba after being accused of armed rebellion following a failed assault against military barracks. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison but was released two years later following a political amnesty. He then left for and helped organize the revolution.

He married a guerrilla fighter, Vilma Esp铆n, in the 1960s and the couple had four children. Little else is know about Castro’s private life: He is considered a family man and officially resides west of .

Even during his years as defense minister under his late brother, Fidel Castro, and later as president, his routine stood out for its discretion: no agendas, official ceremonies, or public or family gatherings.

Since stepping down and handing over to President , Ra煤l Castro has rarely been seen in public. He wears his signature olive-green military uniform when greeting visiting dignitaries.

鈥淗e still has influence, and the leadership seeks his opinion on major decisions, but he is not running the government on a day-to-day basis,鈥� said William LeoGrande, a political scientist at American University in Washington.

鈥淚f the U.S. were to abduct him, it would not change the operations of government, unlike what happened in Venezuela,鈥� LeoGrande said.

Tensions between the U.S. and Cuba worsen

The indictment against Ra煤l Castro has deepened tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, which recently announced that its oil reserves had run dry because of an .

The island鈥檚 crises since the Jan. 3 U.S. invasion of Venezuela, which halted critical oil shipments from the South American country. Then in late January, Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.

Top Trump aides 鈥� including Rubio, and other senior national security officials 鈥� have met with Cuban officials in recent months to explore improving relations. But the U.S. side has come away unimpressed from those talks, leading to more sanctions imposed on the Cuban government in the past week.

Associated Press reporter D谩nica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed.