The Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, accused the United States government on Monday of using the alleged threat posed by the island to instill fear among its own citizens, in a new statement against Washington's policy towards Havana.
In a Facebook post, Fernández de Cossío questioned why the U.S. presents Cuba as a threat to its national security while maintaining an extensive international military presence and possessing nuclear arms.
"The U.S. possesses nuclear weapons and the experience of having used them, yet it accuses Cuba of being a threat," the official wrote, referring to the U.S. military history.
Furthermore, he emphasized: "It has established bases and carries out military operations throughout most of the hemisphere, as well as in other parts of the world, but intimidates its own people with the supposed Cuban threat."
The deputy foreign minister also held the United States responsible for political and military interventions in other countries.
"It has promoted coups, political assassinations, terrorist acts, political and economic subversion, and interference in the internal affairs of almost any country, yet it is Cuba that the U.S. government labels as a threat," he stated.
In another passage, he stated that the U.S. has participated in numerous wars that have caused deaths and destruction, while continuing to point to Cuba as a threat.
Fernández de Cossío, on the other hand, defended the international actions of the Cuban regime and rejected the notion that the island poses a threat to other states.
“Cuba is a country of peace. It does not threaten, attack, or interfere in the internal affairs of any country. Its track record in foreign policy is one of cooperation and solidarity,” he stated.
The diplomat stated that this image of Cuba is recognized internationally and once again accused Washington of misleading the American public.
The statements come in a context of political confrontation between Washington and Havana, especially after the administration of Donald Trump formally declared that the policies and actions of the Cuban government represent a threat to U.S. national security.
On January 29, Trump signed the Executive Order 14380, titled "Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of Cuba," through which he declared a national emergency related to the island.
The document claims that the policies and actions of the Cuban authorities constitute a “national emergency and extraordinary threat” to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.
Washington argued that the Cuban regime maintains relationships and offers support to countries and organizations it considers hostile, including Russia, China, and Iran, and also accused it of endorsing activities that threaten its security interests.
The order also established a mechanism to impose additional tariffs on imports from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, directly or indirectly, subject to the determinations outlined in the document itself.
Fernández de Cossío's message does not constitute his first response to that position from Washington.
In August, the deputy foreign minister responded to a report from the State Department regarding the activities of the Cuban regime, which he described as "voluminous and deceitful."
On that occasion, he accused the authorities of the northern country of trying to "instill fear among American citizens regarding a supposed threat from Cuba," a formulation very similar to the one used now.
The State Department document included accusations of espionage, influence operations, and alleged links between the Cuban government and adversaries of the United States.
In May, Fernández de Cossío also stated that Cuba had never threatened the United States, in response to statements made during a U.S. congressional hearing.
His stance contrasts with reports about intelligence facilities linked to China on Cuban territory, such as the analyses published by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), which has identified several sites associated with potential signals intelligence activities.
The existence and scope of these facilities are part of the security concerns expressed by U.S. analysts and authorities, while Havana denies that its military and cooperation relationships with other countries pose a threat to Washington.
The verbal confrontation has intensified again in recent days.
Last Saturday, Fernández de Cossío accused the Trump administration of behaving like a "terrorist and criminal state", in a message posted in English on the social media platform X.
In that statement, he described Washington's actions as "criminal and aggressive" and questioned whether they truly represented the interests of the majority of American citizens.
His words came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly issued a call to Cuban citizens interested in discreetly collaborating with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The deputy foreign minister mockingly responded to the CIA's call and asserted that the agency seemed compelled to promote its offerings "like toothpaste."
In an interview granted at the beginning of October to the Mexican channel Milenio, the official also assured that Havana takes the references to a possible U.S. military aggression «very seriously».
Fernández de Cossío argued that it would be "naive" and "irresponsible" to ignore those statements, although he acknowledged that both countries maintain diplomatic channels and occasional contacts between officials.
In that same interview, he rejected any negotiations regarding Cuba's internal political system, but expressed willingness to address bilateral matters that require cooperation between both governments.
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