Miguel Díaz-Canel launched an attack against the Government of the United States for the deployment of military forces in the Caribbean, which, he claimed, is carried out under “the false pretext” of combating drug trafficking and constitutes a “direct threat” to the sovereignty of the countries in the region.
During the XIII Extraordinary Summit of ALBA-TCP, held in Havana, the Cuban leader described this Wednesday the U.S. military movement as an “imperial display of strength” and stated that it has a potential use as a platform for “covert actions,” backed by U.S. domestic legislation.
In his speech, Díaz-Canel linked this military offensive to Title 50 of the United States Code on War and National Defense, which allows military operations without Congressional approval.
The Cuban leader claims that this is a strategic maneuver to legitimize future interventions, primarily against the allied governments of the authoritarian axis of ALBA, such as Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba itself.
"The deployment of military naval units to the southern Caribbean, under the command of Southern Command, involves up to 4,000 personnel and is presented as a deterrent, based on the false and disproportionate argument of combating drug trafficking cartels. This is being promoted by the most narcotic state in the world, which is the United States," he stated.
Díaz-Canel also positioned himself against the recent accusation from Washington regarding Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, stating that they intend to link him to drug trafficking without evidence.
“They despise us”, stated Díaz-Canel, quoting José Martí with a fragment from the speech Our America. He also compared the U.S. strategy to a renewed attempt to impose the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America.
The leader of the Cuban regime took advantage of the summit to present the ALBA-TCP bloc as a “political shield” against what he sees as external aggressions. He proposed that the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) convene an extraordinary meeting to address the increasing tensions in the region.
The Cuban leader accused the administration of Donald Trump of promoting misinformation campaigns and economic pressures as part of its "philosophy of dispossession." He attacked U.S. support for Israel, calling it "genocidal" in reference to the situation in Gaza.
In his speech, Díaz-Canel reiterated the reminder of the 99th anniversary of Fidel Castro's birth, dedicating a significant portion of his address to affirming that the late dictator is a symbol of resistance against "imperial domination."
The speech, filled with ideological slogans and references to the revolutionary past, reinforces the narrative of the Cuban regime that seeks to project regional unity in the face of the growing tensions with the United States.
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