Related videos:
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla accused U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday of exhibiting "a pathological inclination to provoke a military confrontation between the United States and Cuba," in an interview given to MS NOW from New York, where he participated in an open debate of the UN Security Council.
This is the fourth interview that Rodríguez has granted to U.S. media in May 2026, as part of an unprecedented communication offensive by the Cuban regime aimed at the American audience. Notably, the Minister of Foreign Affairs once again chose to speak in Spanish, and the outlet had to translate the conversation into English.
Rodríguez stated that Rubio "constantly lies" and "seems to be very misinformed," accusing him of "paying more attention to the opinions of a small but powerful clique entrenched in Florida politics that harbors a vindictive attitude toward Cuba" than to the American public at large.
The interview takes place days after Rubio published a video in Spanish addressed to the Cuban people on the occasion of Cuba's Independence Day, in which he stated that the island does not suffer from Washington's policies but from the actions of its own government.
Rodríguez warned that a military attack would have devastating consequences: "If Cuba were attacked, it would have to defend itself. It would lead to a bloodbath— the death of thousands of Cubans, and also the death of young Americans."
The chancellor described the Trump administration's decision to cut off fuel supply to Cuba in January 2026 as a "deliberate design to provoke suffering among the Cuban population," rather than collateral damage. "The Cuban people are undergoing a form of collective punishment. They are subjected to conditions that violate their human rights and cause pain, suffering, and distress to Cuban families," he stated.
Regarding the federal indictment against former leader Raúl Castro for the downing of two small aircraft belonging to Brothers to the Rescue in 1996, Rodríguez described it as "politically motivated and illegal" and asserted that the regime is using it as a pretext: "They are doing this to manipulate U.S. public opinion and to justify two barbaric and brutal acts: the military threat and the energy blockade against Cuba."
The minister also denied the existence of foreign military bases in Cuba, in response to reports about alleged Russian and Chinese espionage facilities. "There are no foreign military bases in Cuba, nor foreign military personnel, with the sole exception of the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo — which we consider illegal and imposed against the will of the Cuban people," he stated.
Regarding the bilateral conversations, Rodríguez was blunt: "There has been no progress. There is great inconsistency and irresponsibility on the U.S. side. Their behavior during the conversations is one thing, but their constant public statements from official figures are hostile."
This is Rodríguez's third appearance in U.S. media this month. On May 8, he spoke with ABC News from Havana and stated on the program Good Morning America that "Cuba is a different kind of democracy" and that "there are no political prisoners in Cuba." Additionally, last Monday, he gave an interview to Fox News in which he accused Trump of using the allegations against Castro to justify military aggression.
Rodríguez concluded the interview with a rhetorical question directed at the American audience: "What benefit would a war in Cuba or the collapse of the country bring to American taxpayers or to the United States? It would cause not only a humanitarian catastrophe."
Filed under: