From the Isle of Youth, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz reignited the rhetoric of a besieged plaza this Saturday, a narrative that the regime has intensified in recent weeks.
“The will, integrity, and determination of us Cubans is indisputable, but we cannot let our guard down,” said the Cuban leader, who added that the “main enemy” is precisely trust, according to a report from Canal Caribe.
The statements were made during military exercises that included shooting practices, territorial defense drills, and political and ideological activities, on a day overseen by senior leaders of the National Defense Council. In the official narrative, the defense of the country is not confined to the military realm; rather, it involves the entire society as part of the doctrine known as the "war of the entire people."
Marrero's message comes in the context of increasing belligerence from the Cuban regime following the capture of the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in an operation authorized by President Donald Trump, an event that shook Havana's regional allies and raised the tone of confrontation.
Since then, the Cuban government has intensified its discourse on external threats and announced that Saturdays will be systematically dedicated to the military, political, and ideological preparation of the population throughout the year 2026.
The images of military maneuvers, old rifles, and slogans repeated for decades circulate alongside accounts of citizens who spend entire nights without electricity or search for food among empty markets.
In that context, Marrero's warning sounds less like a call to national defense and more like a political tool to keep the population in a state of constant alert, playing on fear and the notion of an external enemy.
Thus, while the government insists on trenches, drills, and war rhetoric, many Cubans feel that the real battle is not fought in training fields, but in dark homes, empty kitchens, and the uncertainty of a country that continues to await concrete answers.
Filed under: