Miguel Díaz-Canel stated that Cuba must prepare militarily in the face of the possibility of U.S. aggression, during an interview granted to Brazilian journalist Breno Altman for the program 20 Minutes from the media Opera Mundi, recorded in Havana.
"I tell you that under the current conditions it is possible that they will try to attack Cuba. We must prepare so that there are no surprises or defeats," declared the Cuban leader.
Although Díaz-Canel states that the regime promotes peace, it was threatening: "We do not promote war, we do not encourage war, but we do not fear war if we have to defend the Revolution and the sovereignty and independence of the country."
He described the Cuban strategy as based on the doctrine known as "the war of the entire people", which combines symmetrical warfare with irregular warfare involving popular participation and is enshrined in the Cuban Constitution.
"We are not preparing with an offensive vision; we are preparing with a defensive vision [...] where every Cuban has a position and a mission to fulfill in the defense of the homeland," the leader explained in a statement that borders on delusion, thinking he has broad popular support.
When asked if he was personally ready for a military intervention, he responded without hesitation, "Of course. We are all prepared in Cuba, and everyone in positions of responsibility is ready."
Díaz-Canel also stated that any military action from Washington would have an international political cost: "A military aggression from the United States would be rejected by the vast majority of the international community, including a significant portion of the population of the United States."
The statements are not an isolated fact. On April 7, in an interview with Newsweek, Díaz-Canel had already warned: "we will fight and defend ourselves".
Days later, at the event for the 65th anniversary of the Proclamation of the Socialist Character of the Revolution, he urged the people to be "ready to face serious threats, including military aggression."
And in an interview with NBC News, he went even further: "If we have to die, we will die, because as our own national anthem says: To die for the homeland is to live."
The backdrop is a sustained escalation from Washington. Trump declared on March 16 from the White House: "I believe that I will have the honor of taking Cuba".
Later, in Miami Beach, he added: "Cuba is next, but act as if I hadn't said that."
More recently, in April, USA Today revealed that the Pentagon discreetly accelerated planning for a possible military operation on the island.
Despite the warlike rhetoric, Díaz-Canel reiterated the regime's willingness to engage in dialogue: "What we want to build is a dialogue that allows us to find spaces of understanding that enable us to move away from aggression."
However, he outright dismissed any negotiations regarding the internal political system: "Absolutely not. Our internal issues are not on the table for discussion with the United States."
Conversations between Havana and Washington are, according to Díaz-Canel himself, at a very preliminary phase following a meeting held on April 10 in Havana with a delegation from the State Department, marking the first official U.S. aircraft in Cuba since 2016.
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