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Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister: "Our military is always ready". (Archive image)
Image: dpa
Cuba sees no reason for the USA to intervene, but is arming itself against a possible intervention. Havana rules out changes to the socialist system.
According to a high-ranking official, Cuba's military is preparing for a possible US operation on the socialist-ruled island. It would be naive to rule out military aggression by the United States, said Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossio in an interview with US broadcaster NBC News. However, it is hoped that this will not happen. US President Donald Trump recently hinted at a "takeover" of the socialist island state.
"We frankly don't know what they're talking about, but I can tell you this: Cuba is a sovereign state. Cuba would not accept becoming a vassal state or a country dependent on another state," said the deputy minister. The Cuban military is always prepared for possible aggression - and concrete steps are currently being taken in the context of the latest tensions.
Relations between Havana and Washington have been tense since the 1959 revolution under the left-wing revolutionary Fidel Castro. The situation has come to a head during Trump's second term in office. A US oil embargo has dramatically exacerbated the economic and humanitarian crisis in Cuba. The country had already been in a severe economic crisis for years due to mismanagement, corruption and a US trade embargo. Saturday (local time) saw the second island-wide power outage in a week.
Washington and Havana are also holding secret talks. Fernández did not want to reveal in the interview when and where the two sides last met. However, Havana has ruled out any changes to its political system. According to Fernández, the nature of the Cuban government, its structure and its members are not the subject of the negotiations. Only the Communist Party is permitted on the island.
22.03.2026, 20:01
