The Colombian president Gustavo Petro visited Havana this Saturday and declared before the press, after being received by Miguel Díaz-Canel at the Palace of the Revolution, that his purpose was to call upon humanity to show solidarity with Cuba "so that there is no invasion here, nor any launch of missiles."
In his statements, Petro also proposed a "dialogue between civilizations" directed specifically at Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump, arguing that Cuba and the United States "must be equal while being different."
However, Cubans did not receive Petro's speech with enthusiasm. The video posted by the Presidency of Cuba on Facebook accumulated more than 154,000 views and 4,714 comments, many of which were filled with irony and skepticism.
“Did you experience the 40 hours of blackout? If not, then no...,” wrote one user. Another was more direct: “You went from doing nothing in Colombia to doing nothing in Cuba.” A third user joked: “You’ve already chosen your home to live comfortably in Varadero.” And one user concluded: “I understand Cantinflas better.”
The Colombian president suggested that the Florida Strait could become "the first bridge of unity for humanity amidst diversity for life and freedom," framing his message not only as a gesture towards the Cuban people but also as a global warning about what he described as the risk of "widespread barbarism."
Petro also took the opportunity to address the conflict in the Middle East, which he described as a possible "foreboding of a global holocaust," and he launched an attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he labeled a "genocidal" figure deserving of a trial "like the Nazis at the Nuremberg tribunal."
The visit, lasting approximately 48 hours, is Petro's third to Cuba during his term and the last international trip before he hands over power on August 7, 2026. Petro was greeted at José Martí Airport by the Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Josefina Vidal Ferreiro.
The trip takes on a particular political weight because his successor, Abelardo de la Espriella, announced on July 27 that he will sever diplomatic relations with Cuba upon taking office, labeling the Cuban regime as a "tyranny." The Díaz-Canel government rejected that announcement, stating that it "does not have the slightest justification."
The visit takes place against a backdrop of increasing pressure from Washington on Havana: since May 2026, the Trump administration has tightened sanctions against Cuban state entities such as CUPET and GAESA, and media outlets like Axios have reported that the rhetoric from Trump and Rubio has fueled fears of a possible military action against the island.
The frustration of Cubans reflects the gap between grand discourses of international solidarity and the everyday reality of a population facing power outages of up to 40 hours, fuel shortages, and an economic crisis with no visible end in sight after decades of dictatorship.
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