President of Cuba asserts the right to defend his country against potential US military aggression
- On Monday, the Cuban president claimed the “absolute and legitimate” right of his country to defend itself against a possible American military aggression.
- Tensions between the two countries are at an all-time high, as Cuba has been subjected to an oil blockade since January.
This is a new escalation of tensions. On Monday, May 18, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel asserted on social media the “absolute and legitimate” right of his country to respond to a possible “military offensive” from the United States, which “cannot logically or honestly be used as a pretext to impose war on the noble Cuban people.”
The tensions between the two countries are at their peak. The Cuban government accuses Washington of laying the political groundwork for a military intervention against the regime, which, if it were to materialize, would “provoke a bloodbath with incalculable consequences,” denounced Miguel Díaz-Canel, who stated that his country is “already under a multidimensional aggression from the United States.”
Oil blockade of the regime
President Donald Trump considers the communist regime, located just 150 kilometers off the coast of Florida, to be “an exceptional threat” to the national security of the United States. Since his return to the White House, he has made numerous threats of “taking control” of Cuba and even mentioned the deployment of an aircraft carrier. In addition to the embargo in place since 1962 against Cuba, Washington also added an oil blockade in January that restricts the supply of crude oil to the regime, leading to recurring shortages and power outages.
In response, the Cuban communist government reportedly acquired over 300 military drones and is evaluating possible scenarios for their use near the American base at Guantanamo Bay in the east of the island, as revealed by the American media Axios on Sunday. These revelations have raised concerns in Washington, where officials warn of a “growing threat” due to the proximity of these capabilities.
Cuban authorities, however, are downplaying the situation. Miguel Díaz-Canel has assured that his country “poses no threat, has no plans or aggressive intentions against any country. It doesn’t have any against the United States, and never has, something that the government of this nation knows well, especially its defense and national security agencies.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Havana on Thursday for an exceptional meeting with senior Cuban officials as the two countries continue their discussions.
