Cuba’s president warned Monday of a “bloodbath” if the United States launches a military attack, as Washington escalated pressure by sanctioning Havana’s main intelligence agency and nine senior Cuban officials amid reports that the island has acquired more than 300 military drones.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on X that Cuba “poses no threat” to the United States or any other country but insisted the island has “the absolute and legitimate right to defend itself against a military onslaught,” warning a U.S. strike would “trigger a bloodbath with incalculable consequences.”
The statements came a day after U.S. news site Axios, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials, reported Havana had sourced over 300 drones from Russia and Iran and was weighing strikes on the U.S. base at Guantánamo Bay, on U.S. naval vessels and potentially on Florida. The Axios report has intensified speculation that the United States is considering military options to remove Cuba’s communist leadership.
Cuba’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, echoed Díaz-Canel’s defiance in New York, saying, “If someone tried to invade Cuba, Cuba will fight back, no doubt about it,” and recalling the failed U.S.-backed invasion attempt in the 1960s.
In a separate move, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced sanctions targeting Cuba’s main intelligence agency and nine individuals, including ministers of communications, energy and justice. The Treasury said several top Communist Party officials and at least three generals were also sanctioned.
The broader U.S. pressure campaign dates to January, when the administration curtailed oil shipments from Venezuela — Cuba’s primary fuel supplier — and publicly discussed forcing regime change. The embargo on Venezuelan fuel has, according to Havana, worsened an ongoing humanitarian and energy crisis, producing more frequent blackouts and shortages of diesel and fuel oil for backup generators.
U.S. media reports have also said the administration is exploring legal action against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, now reported to be 94, as part of the pressure strategy. The Axios story followed a recent visit to Havana by CIA Director John Ratcliffe for negotiations.
Against this backdrop of sanctions and diplomatic confrontation, Cuba received a new shipment of humanitarian aid from Mexico on Monday — its fifth aid delivery from Mexico’s left-wing government since February. Observers said the consignment arrived on a merchant vessel flying a Panamanian flag and carried about 1,700 tonnes of supplies.
Cuba’s food minister, Alberto López, said the shipment included powdered milk and beans intended for children and the elderly. Havana has framed U.S. measures as an attempt to “strangle” the Cuban economy and create a pretext for intervention.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/cuba-warns-of-bloodbath-if-us-attacks-11514525#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-05-19 02:05:00
