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The main diplomat of the Cuban regime in Washington, Lianys Torres Rivera, stated this Friday that Cuba "is preparing" for a possible U.S. invasion and that bilateral negotiations have shown "no progress," in an exclusive interview given to The Hill from the Cuban embassy in the U.S. capital.
The interview took place at one of the most critical moments in the relationship between the two countries, one day after the Cuban Minister of Energy, Vicente de la O Levy, acknowledged that the island "has absolutely no fuel, no diesel, only associated gas" and described the situation as "severe, critical, and extremely tense."
That same night, the Electric Union recorded a record deficit of 2,153 MW, with only 1,230 MW available against a demand of 3,250 MW, resulting in blackouts lasting up to 22 hours and mass protests with pot-banging in at least ten municipalities in Havana, accompanied by bonfires and street blockades.
Torres Rivera acknowledged that Cubans have reasons to protest but cautioned against a "misinterpretation" of those demonstrations. "When they endure 20 hours of blackouts, they have complaints, and they express them," he said, quickly adding that Washington should not confuse this with a sign that "the Cuban people will not defend their homeland against an invasion."
Regarding military preparations, the diplomat was explicit: "We are preparing for this. We are doing so now more than ever. We cannot be naive. And the way we are preparing is not offensive. We are not preparing to be the first to act against U.S. territory or citizens. We don’t want that. We are preparing to defend ourselves."
The ambassador described the current moment as "one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult, in the bilateral relationship" between Cuba and the United States.
The context of the interview also included the visit of the CIA director, John Ratcliffe, to Havana on Thursday, where he met with officials from the Cuban Ministry of the Interior.
The agency warned that the window for negotiations "will not remain open indefinitely" and that "Cubans should not be under any illusions that the president will not enforce the red lines." The regime confirmed the meeting and asserted that it had presented "evidence" that Cuba does not pose a threat to U.S. national security.
The State Department publicly acknowledged "numerous private offers" of 100 million dollars in direct assistance to the Cuban people, contingent upon the regime allowing it.
The escalation originates from Executive Order 14380, signed by Trump on January 29, 2026, which cut between 80% and 90% of Cuban crude oil imports.
On May 1, Trump signed a second executive order that extended the national emergency and authorized secondary sanctions.
On May 7, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced direct sanctions against GAESA, the military conglomerate that controls between 40% and 70% of the formal Cuban economy, allowing foreign financial institutions until June 5 to cease operations.
The chancellor Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla warned in at least five public interventions in less than two weeks that a U.S. military action "would provoke a true humanitarian catastrophe, a bloodbath" and that "Cuban and American citizens would lose their lives."
The president Miguel Díaz-Canel declared in an interview with NBC News that Cuba "will defend itself, and if we need to die, we will die," while the government has declared 2026 as the "Year of Preparation for Defense" and intensified civil military exercises with rifles, drones, and anti-tank mines.
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