# Cato Scholars Respond After DOJ Indicts Raúl Castro 

They cautioned, however, that “removing a dictator does not necessarily end the dictatorship” and that when the Castro regime finally collapses, Cubans themselves must lead their own return to freedom.

May 20, 2026 • News Releases 

Today, the Department of Justice announced an indictment against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, charging him with several offenses, including murder.

Cato scholars [Ian Vásquez](https://www.cato.org/people/ian-vasquez) and [Marcos Falcone](https://www.cato.org/people/marcos-falcone) write in [a new blog post](https://www.cato.org/blog/after-castro-tyranny-cubans-should-lead-their-transition-freedom) that the indictment of Castro “raises hope for an end of the Castro tyranny, something that ideally would happen in a bloodless way.”

They cautioned, however, that “removing a dictator does not necessarily end the dictatorship” and that when the Castro regime finally collapses, Cubans themselves must lead their own return to freedom.

If you have any further questions, please contact Cato PR at [pr@​cato.​org](mailto:pr@cato.org).

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