Cuban president promises ‘impregnable resistance’ to any US attempt to control island

Cuban president promises ‘impregnable resistance’ to any US attempt to control island

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel declared Tuesday that his nation would resist any U.S. effort to seize control, calling for an “impregnable resistance.” This statement followed a power crisis that left portions of the country without electricity. The grid failure caused widespread disruption, with nearly 10 million Cubans experiencing outages, forcing them to cook using gas lamps and candles. Schools adjusted schedules, and large events were delayed as trash piled up in neighborhoods due to unavailability of fuel for waste trucks.

The crisis has deepened Cuba’s existing economic struggles, which were worsened when the U.S. cut off oil supplies earlier this year. This deprived the aging power infrastructure of its key energy source, intensifying hardships for citizens. By Tuesday afternoon, about 55% of Havana residents and certain regions had regained power, though the situation remains volatile.

Díaz-Canel criticized the U.S. for using Cuba’s economic challenges as an excuse to exert pressure, stating that the “fierce economic war” targets the entire population as punishment. “In the face of the worst scenario, Cuba is accompanied by a certainty: any external aggressor will clash with an impregnable resistance,” he emphasized in a defiant X post. Former President Donald Trump had previously hinted at potential action, saying on Monday that he could “do anything he wants with the island.” On Tuesday, he reiterated: “We’ll be doing something with Cuba very soon.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported the stance, asserting that Cuba needs “new people in charge.” “Their economy doesn’t work…They’re in a lot of trouble, and the people in charge, they don’t know how to fix it, so they have to get new people in charge,” Rubio said from the Oval Office. Despite the U.S. government’s posturing, Cuban officials confirmed on Friday that they had engaged in talks with Washington to address shared challenges.

Public sentiment amidst uncertainty

Cubans, while frustrated by the U.S.’s threats, remain wary of conflict. Marianela Alvarez, a Havana resident, told Reuters: “We, as people, as civilians, aren’t prepared for a war. I want Trump to understand, to leave us alone.” Others, like Luis Enrique Garcia, expressed cautious hope for dialogue. “I truly believe that there will be dialogue and understanding, because it is love that should unite human beings, not war,” he said. Yet not all were optimistic. “I don’t trust a dialogue with Trump,” Havana’s Amed Echenique told Reuters. “I don’t trust Trump as a person, even with the little I know about him. And so that’s something that doesn’t really give me hope.”