The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, stated that the Cuban government is taking reports about a possible military action by the United States against the island "very seriously" and admitted that, in the event of foreign aggression, Cuba would have to act alone.
"We are on our own," said Fernández de Cossío in an interview given to the program Washington Journal, when asked if other countries would come to Cuba's aid in the event of a possible U.S. military action.
The official added that Havana must acknowledge that “perhaps no country will come to our aid” and that, if that scenario arises, it would have to exercise its right to self-defense “on our own”.
The phrase reinforces the challenging tone of the Cuban government towards Washington, amidst new tensions following statements from President Donald Trump, who described Cuba as a "failed state" and claimed that "freedom will come to Cuba".
Fernández de Cossío rejected those words and asserted that "Cuba is a country under aggression, not a failed state." He stated that the island faces an "relentless and multidimensional aggression" from "the most powerful nation on Earth."
When asked about reports from CBS News concerning possible U.S. preparations for military actions related to Cuba, the deputy minister stated that it would be "naive" for the Cuban government not to prepare itself or the population for that "drastic possibility."
"Unfortunately, we have to take reports like these very seriously", he stated. He also noted that Havana is paying attention to the frequent statements from U.S. officials in this regard.
The regime's diplomat described any use of U.S. military force against Cuba as an "atrocious international crime," referring to the country as "a peaceful neighbor."
In another part of the interview, Fernández de Cossío also accused Washington of attempting to "take control of Cuba" and seeking internal political changes. According to his argument, this would amount to "nullifying Cuba as a nation" and disregarding its sovereign right to exist.
The deputy minister also held U.S. policy responsible for much of the crisis the country is experiencing, asserting that the sanctions and restrictions aim to punish the entire population. "It's about trying to bring the Cuban people to submission through hunger," he said.
Fernández de Cossío described daily life on the island as "very difficult" and mentioned power outages, a lack of fuel, limitations in public transportation, issues with food preservation, and impacts on hospitals due to the shortage of electricity.
The official stated that, despite the tensions, the Cuban government has maintained contact with U.S. authorities in recent months and said that Havana is willing to engage in "respectful" dialogue, as long as the sovereignty of both countries is respected.
Filed under: