U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio swiftly dismissed Miguel Díaz-Canel's threats of guerrilla warfare on Tuesday with a concise remark: "I don't think much of what he has to say," he told journalist Leo Feldman.
Rubio's response came just hours after Díaz-Canel gave an exclusive interview to Newsweek—the first with an American outlet since 2023—from the Presidential Palace in Havana. In the interview, he combined warlike rhetoric with appeals for dialogue.
Diaz-Canel's Stark Warnings
During the interview, Díaz-Canel stated, "We will always strive to avoid war. We will always work for peace. But if military aggression occurs, we will retaliate, fight, and defend ourselves."
The Cuban leader described the island's defensive strategy as a "war of the entire people," a doctrine involving massive civilian participation. He warned that any U.S. military action would result in "immense losses for both nations and their peoples," with human and material costs he deemed "incalculable."
Díaz-Canel also invoked the Cuban national anthem, saying, "And if we fall in battle, dying for the homeland is living."
Rubio's Echoing Response
In a twist not lost on observers, Díaz-Canel had used a similar phrase in the same interview concerning Donald Trump, stating that he "doesn't think much of what [Trump] has to say," dismissing Trump's statements as irrelevant to Havana's foreign policy.
A White House official responded that Trump believes a deal with Cuba "would be very easy to achieve."
Escalating Tensions
These statements come amid an unprecedented escalation of tensions between the two countries. In January, the Trump administration signed Executive Order 14380, declaring the Cuban regime an extraordinary and unusual threat to U.S. national security and blocking oil shipments to the island.
This action has plunged Cuba into a severe energy crisis, with blackouts lasting up to 20-25 hours daily and a deficit of 1,900 to 2,000 megawatts affecting 64% of the country.
Rubio had previously been forthright about the island's situation: "There is literally no economy," he said on Fox News in March, labeling the regime's leaders as "incompetent and incapable."
The Secretary of State also made his position clear: "Cuba needs two things: economic reform and political reform. You can't fix their economy without changing their system of government."
Political Visits and Future Policies
Last Monday, Democratic Congress members Pramila Jayapal and Jonathan Jackson visited Cuba and met with Díaz-Canel, a visit criticized by Republican Carlos Giménez as hypocritical given the regime's political prisoners.
Rubio had hinted earlier that the administration would soon have more to announce regarding U.S. policy toward Cuba, a statement that remains unfulfilled publicly but keeps Havana on alert.
Frequently Asked Questions about U.S.-Cuba Relations
What was the content of Díaz-Canel's interview with Newsweek?
Díaz-Canel's interview with Newsweek combined militant rhetoric with calls for peace, stating that Cuba would defend itself against any military aggression.
How has the Trump administration impacted Cuba?
The Trump administration's Executive Order 14380 declared Cuba a national security threat and blocked oil shipments, leading to a severe energy crisis on the island.