Cuba Accuses U.S. Of Fabricating Justifications For Military Action/Image @ BBC
Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodríguez, has condemned the United States for allegedly constructing a “fraudulent case” to justify potential military intervention following reports that Havana has acquired attack drones capable of targeting Florida.
Rodríguez asserted that Cuba “neither threatens nor desires war,” countering claims made by the U.S. news outlet Axios, which cited classified intelligence indicating that Cuba possesses around 300 drones and is contemplating strikes on U.S. sites nearby.
The island nation is currently grappling with a severe fuel crisis, worsened by a stringent U.S. oil embargo, while facing pressure from the Trump administration to negotiate a deal.
President Donald Trump has issued warnings to Cuba’s communist regime, drawing parallels to the intervention aimed at capturing Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro.
According to the Axios report published on Sunday, Cuba is reportedly considering using these drones to target Guantanamo Bay, the U.S. military base located on the island, as well as naval vessels and possibly Key West in Florida.
The report referenced a U.S. official who suggested that this intelligence could serve as a pretext for military action against Cuba, noting the presence of Iranian military advisers in Havana.
Rodríguez criticized specific media outlets for promoting narratives that align with U.S. government insinuations.
He stated on social media, “Without any legitimate excuse whatsoever, the U.S. government builds, day after day, a fraudulent case to justify the ruthless economic war against the Cuban people and the eventual military aggression.”
He emphasized that while Cuba does not seek conflict, it is preparing for “external aggression” and self-defense.
Havana has been engaged in discussions with Washington to resolve ongoing differences for several months. However, a recent shipment of oil from Russia has already been depleted, leading to rolling blackouts that have impacted hospitals, public transport, and waste collection services. The situation, combined with shortages of food and medicine, has sparked rare public dissent against the communist government, which is facing criticism for its declining infrastructure.
Previously, Cuba managed to withstand severe Western sanctions thanks to support from regional allies like Venezuela, which was believed to supply about 35,000 barrels of oil daily before Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces in early January.
Reports indicate that the Trump administration is intensifying its pressure campaign against Cuba. U.S. surveillance flights around the island have increased, and there are plans for a build-up of military forces in the region.
CIA Director, John Ratcliffe, recently stated that Cuba should “no longer be a safe haven for adversaries in the western hemisphere” during a visit to Havana. His discussions with Cuban officials coincided with reports that the U.S. intends to indict Raúl Castro, who succeeded his brother Fidel after he overthrew the U.S.-backed government in 1959.
The indictment against Maduro was previously used by the Trump administration as justification for a bold raid on Caracas aimed at capturing him and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Both are now facing trial in New York on charges including drug trafficking.
In the months leading up to that operation, President Trump repeatedly accused Maduro’s government of posing a threat to the United States while a significant military presence was amassed nearby.
Since Maduro’s capture, President Trump has indicated that Cuba may be “next,” expressing aspirations of “taking Cuba.”
The administration has increasingly framed its policy in the region through the lens of reviving the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, asserting U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, rebranding it as the “Donroe Doctrine.”
Under his leadership, the executive branch has shown stronger engagement with South and Central American nations and the progressive heads of state whose political views diverge from his own, unlike earlier administrations.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong