Sawt Falasteen - Castro backers rally in front of US embassy in Havana

"Long live Raul!" chanted the group, which included the Caribbean island's current president and other top officials, clad in military fatigues.

The 94-year-old brother of Fidel Castro was slapped with murder and other charges on Wednesday over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes -- the latest tightening of US President Donald Trump's pressure campaign against Cuba's communist leaders.

Raul Castro was not in attendance at the rally, held at a park across the street from the US embassy that has been dubbed the "Anti-Imperialist Platform."

However, his children could be seen among the attendees, including his lawmaker daughter Mariela Castro and son Alejandro Castro, a key figure in secret talks that led to the restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States in 2015.

Gerardo Hernandez, a former Cuban spy in the United States who was released in 2015, told the crowd that he bore a message from Castro.

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 said.

T.Khatib--SF-PST