HAVANA (AP) — Cuba’s military is preparing for a potential U.S. military intervention, a top Cuban diplomat said Sunday, as tensions escalate following Washington’s actions in Venezuela and increasingly assertive rhetoric from the Trump administration.
Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that it would be “naive” for Cuban leaders to dismiss the possibility of conflict, given events unfolding globally. “Our military is always prepared, and in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression,” he stated.
The warning comes after U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested military intervention in Cuba could follow the recent U.S. operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, a close ally of Havana. Rubio reportedly warned that those in the Cuban government “would be concerned.” Trump himself has publicly mused about “taking” Cuba, stating he believes he could “do anything I want with it.”
Fernández de Cossío dismissed Trump’s comments, asserting Cuba’s sovereignty. “Cuba is a sovereign country and has the right to be a sovereign country,” he said.
The situation is further complicated by a U.S. executive order threatening tariffs on countries that continue to provide oil to Cuba, leading to severe fuel shortages and widespread power outages across the island. Cuba’s power grid has collapsed three times this month, leaving residents without electricity. Fernández de Cossío characterized the oil blockade as “aggression” from the United States, stating it “cannot be sustained forever.”
While Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged recent talks with U.S. leaders aimed at avoiding military conflict, Fernández de Cossío firmly stated that any discussion of regime change is off the table. “The nature of the Cuban government… is not part of the negotiation. That is something that no sovereign country negotiates,” he emphasized. He also pointed to the limited political options within the U.S. system itself, questioning whether the U.S. would accept a multi-party system.
The deputy foreign minister expressed hope that fuel shipments would reach Cuba despite the U.S. efforts to disrupt them, but underscored the severity of the situation.
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