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The president Miguel Díaz-Canel described this Sunday the "maximum pressure" strategy, which he claims is being promoted "by some from the United States" against Cuba, as "sickly," while accusing Washington of laying the groundwork for a military intervention in the island.
The Cuban leader posted the message on his X account amid a sustained escalation of tensions between Havana and Washington that has intensified in recent weeks.
"The 'maximum pressure' design that some fanatically promote from the United States is part of the strategy to justify the false narrative of collapse and thus military intervention," wrote Díaz-Canel.
The ruler also stated that the collective punishment being inflicted on the Cuban people "now qualifies as genocide" and concluded his message with the phrase "Cuba is not alone," accompanied by the hashtag #LaPatriaSeDefiende.
The tweet comes four days after the U.S. Department of Justice filed federal charges against Raúl Castro for the downing of two planes from Brothers to the Rescue on February 24, 1996, which resulted in the deaths of four Cuban Americans. The charges include conspiracy to commit murder of American citizens and four counts of murder.
On May 22, the regime organized an event at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune with workers mobilized from their workplaces in support of Castro, who did not attend the event.
On that same day, Díaz-Canel published on Facebook invoking the military glories of the revolution - the Sierra Maestra, Girón, and the missions in Africa - to warn that Cuba will resist any aggression, and he quoted José Martí: "The brutal and turbulent North that looks down on us still does not know us: in wanting to divide us, it has united us even more."
The belligerent rhetoric of the regime contrasts sharply with the reality faced by the Cuban population, including blackouts of up to 30 hours a day, a critical shortage of food and medicine, and over 1,200 political prisoners.
The energy crisis has worsened following the interruption of Venezuelan crude oil supplies after the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro in January, and due to the effective oil embargo imposed by Washington, which is said to have reduced fuel imports by 80% to 90%.
Since the beginning of the year, the administration of President Donald Trump has accumulated more than 240 sanctions against Cuba, with at least seven tankers intercepted in international waters. On May 1, Trump signed an executive order that expands sanctions in the energy, defense, mining, and finance sectors.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted that he does not see any progress in the negotiations with the regime and described Cuba as a "failed state."
Internationally, pressure on the regime is also increasing from Europe. The EU's High Representative, Kaja Kallas, confirmed before the European Parliament that the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement with Cuba is under review, acknowledging that "it has not produced the expected results".
The final vote to suspend that agreement is scheduled for June.
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