The president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has assured that the country “must prepare for a possible war” with the United States given the risk of an aggression. In an interview, the leader affirmed that Havana does not promote conflict but neither does it fear it and defended a strategy based on the “war of all the people”, with a defensive character and generalized participation of the citizenry.
Díaz-Canel stressed that “under current conditions it is possible that they may try to attack Cuba” and defended that the country must be prepared “so that there is no surprise or defeat”. In that sense, he explained that the defense doctrine combines elements of conventional and irregular warfare, and assured that “every Cuban has a position and a mission” in the protection of national sovereignty.
The Cuban president insisted that this preparation has a defensive and not offensive approach, although he made it clear that the country would respond if necessary. “If we have to defend the revolution and the sovereignty of the country's independence, so it will be,” he affirmed, while assuring that both the authorities and the population are ready for an eventual conflict scenario.
Despite the hardening of the discourse, Díaz-Canel reiterated Cuba's willingness to maintain a dialogue with the United States, provided it is based on mutual respect. Furthermore, he denounced the impact of the economic and energy blockade on the island, pointing out that sanctions have intensified in recent years and have affected the availability of resources, production, and key sectors such as tourism.
