Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has warned that a US military assault on Cuba “will cause a bloodbath with incalculable consequences” amid renewed tension between Havana and Washington.
“Cuba poses no threat, nor does it have aggressive plans or
intentions against any country. It has none against the US, nor has it ever had
any, something the government of that nation knows well,” the leader said in a
post on X.
“The threats of military aggression against Cuba from the
world’s greatest power are well-known. The threat itself already constitutes an
international crime. If it were to materialize, it would trigger a bloodbath
with incalculable consequences, plus the destructive impact on regional peace
and stability.” he added
Díaz-Canel added that Cuba “is already suffering a
multidimensional aggression from the US” and that it “has the absolute and
legitimate right to defend itself against a military assault,” though he
maintained that this “cannot logically or honestly be used as an excuse to
impose a war against the noble Cuban people.”
Bilateral relations are at one of their lowest points in
decades, with renewed pressure from US President Donald Trump and a spiraling
energy crisis on the communist-run island. Recently, Cuba’s energy minister
said that a last-minute Russian oil donation had been exhausted, and that
Cubans would have to endure more power cuts.
On Monday, the Trump administration announced new sanctions
on the Cuban government, including its main intelligence agency and interior
ministry. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that “additional
sanctions actions can be expected in the following days and weeks.” The US also
sanctioned 11 Cuban officials, including the Minister of Justice and the Deputy
Minister of Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces.
Another blow to the island came Sunday, when reports
surfaced that major shipping companies Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM will no longer
ship to or from Cuba to comply with new Trump administration rules. The move
will likely add to food scarcity on the island. For decades, the collapse of
Cuba’s agricultural sector and economic mismanagement has meant the government
has imported much of the food the island consumes. Even items like sugar,
coffee and tobacco that the island once produced in large quantities are now
being imported.
In recent months, Trump has often predicted the end of the
Castro regime in remarks to the press.
“I think they’re going to have to come to us,” Trump told
Fox News in an interview aired on Friday. “It’s a failed nation. It’s a totally
failed nation.”
Beyond the longstanding economic embargo and an oil blockade
that has pushed the island’s energy crisis to its limits, the United States is
preparing an indictment against former President Raúl Castro, according to
sources. The indictment would mark a significant escalation in the US stance
against the Cuban government. On Friday, Trump declined to comment on the
possible case against Castro, saying that he will let the Justice Department
“comment on it, but they (Cubans) need help, as you know.”
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said on Monday on X that
Cuba “has the right to legitimate self-defense against any external
aggression.”
“Those who seek to illegitimately attack Cuba resort to any
pretext, no matter how deceitful and ridiculous, to justify an attack that runs
contrary to US and world public opinion,” the official wrote.
The day before, Rodríguez wrote that the Trump
administration “builds, day after day, a fraudulent case to justify the
ruthless economic war against the Cuban people and eventual military
aggression.”
The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) John
Ratcliffe traveled to Havana last week for a rare meeting with officials from
the Ministry of the Interior and heads of the island’s intelligence services.
For many Cubans, a potential US military attack feels
imminent, and they are taking preparations accordingly. In anticipation of such
a scenario, over the past few days Cuba’s Civil Defense has circulated “a
family guide on how to act during a hypothetical military aggression against
Cuba,” recommending, among other things, preparing a backpack with
non-perishable items. The guide urges people to stay alert to air raid sirens
and is titled “Protect, Resist, Survive, and Prevail.”
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