U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that the United States is “freeing up Cuba” following the indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro over the 1996 shootdown of two aircraft linked to a Miami-based exile group. Speaking to reporters, Trump said Washington was prepared to help the Cuban people on a humanitarian basis and stressed that the U.S. had extensive knowledge and experience dealing with Cuba. He also pointed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and ongoing U.S. intelligence operations as key factors shaping Washington’s approach.