Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez called a White House statement on Cuba superficial and misinformed, responding to Washington’s criticism and renewed threats of military action. Rodríguez said the U.S. characterization of Cuba as a security threat ignores history and serves domestic political purposes.
His remarks came after President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio raised the specter of intervention and federal prosecutors indicted former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. The U.S. has also deployed naval assets to the Caribbean and maintained a fuel blockade that Cuban officials say has caused severe economic hardship.
Rodríguez condemned what he described as coercive measures designed to force regime change. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Cuba has the absolute right to defend itself against any military assault and warned that intervention would have incalculable consequences.
China said Friday it firmly supports Cuba and urged the U.S. to de-escalate tensions. Russia has also criticized American pressure on the island. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has taken a leading role in the administration’s Cuba policy, arguing that Havana’s ties to Beijing and Moscow pose a direct threat to U.S. national security.
The administration this month imposed new sanctions on Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., a conglomerate operated by Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba has gotten used to buying time but will not be able to wait out the current administration.
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Sources:
https://www.fdd.org/overnight-brief/may-21-2026/