The tension rises again
The words of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel left no room for doubt. He responded forcefully to recent statements by Donald Trump, who suggested that “imminent” measures could be taken against the island.
“Cuba will not give in to external pressures,” said the president.
He warned that any attempt at aggression will meet resistance. It is the historic position of a government that has spent more than six decades defending its sovereignty in the face of what it considers a policy of sustained hostility from Washington.
Crisis upon crisis
But this time the scenario is different. The tensions come amid a perfect storm for the island: a severe energy and economic crisis that is already affecting people’s daily lives.
Blackouts, shortages, deterioration in basic conditions. The situation has been aggravated by restrictions on oil supplies – US measures and the decline in Venezuelan support – which have hit hard.
From the other side of the strait, figures like Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio insist on the need for profound changes in the Cuban economic model. They have even hinted at the intention of promoting a change in leadership.
Díaz-Canel is clear: he accuses the United States of publicly threatening to overthrow the constitutional order. And he does so precisely when the economic crisis—which he says has been aggravated by decades of sanctions—tests the country’s resilience.
It’s the same script, but with renewed actors and a much more fragile context. The question now is how much more the population can endure before this diplomatic tension has real consequences on the streets.
