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Miguel Díaz-Canel responded this Thursday to Donald Trump's statements about Cuba in an exclusive interview granted to the British television channel , in which the Cuban leader rejected any military threats and affirmed that the island will not relinquish its sovereignty.
Díaz-Canel's statements came hours after Trump stated on Wednesday, during the inauguration of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, that Cuba "after many, many decades, is coming towards us", evoking the Spanish-American War of 1898.
Journalist Yalda Hakim, international news presenter for Sky News, interviewed Díaz-Canel in Havana against the backdrop of the Cuban flag and the sign "PRESIDENCIA."
"We are a peaceful country. We are not a threat to anyone. Cuba is not a nation in conflict. We are not a colony. We will not surrender our sovereignty or our independence," declared the Cuban leader.
In response to the question of whether the regime takes the possibility of military action seriously—pointing out that Trump acted when he threatened Venezuela and Iran—Díaz-Canel replied unequivocally: "We are prepared to fight to the last drop of blood to defend our rights, our independence, our sovereignty, and our achievements."
He described the constant pressure from Washington as "an outrage and an affront to the dignity of our people," and characterized it as part of "a strategy of media poisoning and psychological warfare to intimidate our country and destabilize our society."
His most forceful phrase summarized the regime's position: "We do not want war, but we are not afraid of it. And we are preparing so that we are not caught off guard or defeated."
Regarding the seriousness of the moment, Díaz-Canel accused the Trump administration of lying and manipulating international public opinion, and acknowledged that Cuba is experiencing "an important moment of intensification of the embargo, to the point of maximum pressure," with severe consequences for the daily lives of Cubans.
Según publicó Hakim en sus redes sociales, Díaz-Canel también señaló que existen «posibilidades para el diálogo», aunque advirtió que la confianza cubana en Washington es baja tras las acciones de Trump en Venezuela e Irán.
The interview takes place at a peak of tension between both countries. Since January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed more than 240 sanctions against Cuba, including personal measures against Díaz-Canel himself, his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza, and Colonel Alejandro Castro Espín. The foreign minister Bruno Rodríguez stated on Tuesday that the bilateral talks "show no progress" and announced an extraordinary UN session for July 7 to denounce the tightening of the embargo.
Cuba is also experiencing its worst energy crisis in decades, with power outages lasting up to 24 hours a day and a projected economic contraction of between 6.5% and 7.2% for 2026, exacerbated by the cut in Venezuelan supply of about 70,000 barrels a day following the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026.
The full interview was published this Thursday on the Sky News YouTube channel, and the extraordinary UN session convened by Havana to denounce US sanctions will take place on July 7.
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