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With the tone of someone who feels cornered and responds with a battle cry, Miguel Díaz-Canel reacted this Sunday to the verbal and political offensive launched from Washington by Donald Trump.
His message, shared on social media, comes amid an unprecedented escalation of regional tension that has left the Cuban regime without its main external support and facing a direct threat of total suffocation.
"Those who turn everything into a business, even human lives, have no moral ground to criticize Cuba," wrote the Cuban leader, visibly upset.
In his post, he accused the United States of acting with "rage" due to the Cuban people's decision to maintain their political model and reiterated that the embargo is to blame for the shortages the country is experiencing.
The message concluded with a warning that "no one tells us what to do." Additionally, the leader stated that Cuba "does not threaten, it prepares" and is ready to defend itself "to the last drop of blood."
Díaz-Canel's response comes just hours after Trump issued an unprecedented ultimatum to the regime in Havana. From his account on Truth Social, the U.S. president announced the definitive end of the oil and money that Cuba had received for years from Venezuela in exchange for “security services” to chavismo. “There will be no more oil or money for Cuba. Nothing!” Trump stated, while advising Havana to “reach an agreement before it’s too late.”
The message had an immediate impact. Not only because of its threatening tone, but also due to the context surrounding it, following the recent capture of the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro after a U.S. military operation in Caracas and the confirmation that dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban soldiers lost their lives during the offensive.
The chancellor Bruno Rodríguez denied that Cuba has ever charged for security services. However, beyond the denials, the anxiety is evident.
Díaz-Canel's reaction also coincided with symbolic gestures that have further ignited social media. Trump shared an image generated by artificial intelligence in which he is seen smoking a cigar on a street in Havana, surrounded by Cuban flags and almendrones.
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