Despite the relentless decades-long efforts by the United States to subjugate Cuba, the Caribbean island has remained a haven for revolutionaries, scientists, and doctors, and a model of internationalist solidarity.

Yet now, during the second Trump administration, the island is facing one of its most critical moments as the United States government has tightened the more than six-decade blockade against the island by imposing a fuel embargo, provoking an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. This escalation takes places as the US has unleashed fresh conflicts across all regions of the world, launching a war with Israel against Iran, carrying out airstrikes in Nigeria and Ecuador, and providing cover for Israel’s war in Lebanon.

BreakThrough News spoke to Luis Mariano Fernández, the Cuban ambassador in Jordan and Syria, who reflected on the fierce US campaign and threats against his country in light of the current US-Israeli regional war across West Asia.

Luis Mariano Fernández the Cuban ambassador in Jordan and Syria. Photo: SANA

BreakThrough News: How do you interpret the US threats and the fierce campaign against Cuba, taking place at the same time as the regional war waged by the United States and its ally Israel against countries across West Asia, particularly Iran?

Luis Mariano Fernández: As we know, the US threats against Cuba and its Revolution did not begin when Trump came to power as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025, in his second term.

The US aggression against the Cuban Revolution began from the very beginning of the triumph of the revolution in 1959, marking a process of profound change of political, economic, and social power structures. A change that definitively broke the chains of subordination to Washington in search for true freedom, sovereignty, independence, and the achievement of the greatest possible social justice for our entire people.

As early as 1960, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Lester Mallory, made clear in his famous secret memo that the true intentions of his country’s policy were to create a climate of disappointment and discontent among Cubans in order to weaken their support for the government by blaming it for the difficulties they faced.

66 years have passed since, during which the aspirations of successive US administrations have continued to assume the same spirit of economic war against Cuba.

A genocidal policy of economic, commercial and financial blockade has been implemented, the longest in history against any nation, in an attempt to fulfill the frustrated imperialist desire to overthrow the political system in Cuba. A system that Cubans have legitimately and rightfully decided to build for the well-being of all.

As the Commander-in-Chief, Fidel, noted, what Yankee imperialism does not forgive us for is that we have built a socialist revolution just 90 miles from its shores. The deep wounds that resulted from hundreds of terrorist actions, which were orchestrated, financed and carried out from the US territories, are still etched in the memory of the Cuban people.

Some of these actions became well known, such as the invasion of Girón in April 1961, in which the “uniformed people” defeated within 72 hours the systematic sabotage against the economic infrastructure, particularly exportable items such as sugar and food production, as well as bacteriological warfare actions with the introduction of diseases, which harmed Cuba’s pig production. Another example is the dengue hemorrhagic fever, which caused the deaths of hundreds of people, mostly children.

Trump’s current policy towards Cuba has been characterized by a high-pressure approach and systematic psychological warfare. He has even threatened a possible military invasion in a bid to destabilize the country and achieve what his administration called “the unconditional surrender” of the Cuban government.

Besides the 243 sanctions implemented during Trump’s first term, now other ones with a lot of negative impact are added, including the re-entry of Cuba into the spurious and unilateral list of alleged “sponsors of terrorism,” the measure of January 29, 2026, which imposed sanctions on suppliers of oil to the country, and the most recent one in May called “secondary sanctions” against entrepreneurs from third countries, who have business with Cuba. An extraterritorial content sanction, which violates the sovereignty of these countries, in order for them to abandon the Cuban market, so the US can achieve the cruelty of isolating Cuba economically.

These recent sanctions in particular aim to further affect the already deteriorating living standards of Cubans, paralyze essential services, diminish production capacity, electricity, transport, communications, and everything that depends on energy supply and fuel availability, while discouraging foreign investment and affecting the permanence of foreign companies that have business in the country.

The Trump administration continues to use the false narrative that Cuba constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security of the United States as unjustified, immoral, and unilateral pretext. Something that many US citizens refuse, according to recent surveys published in the United States. They also reject the military conflict with the Greater Antilles.

The bureaucrats in Trump’s government claimed that Cuba poses a danger to US security because of its close relations with political adversaries (China, Russia and Iran), as if Washington has the right to decide with which country Cuba should maintain political and commercial relations.

Washington is fully aware that Cuba is a country of peace, and its people are victims of its cruel and irresponsible hate policy. The Cuban people have no foreign military bases on their territory, except for the illegal Guantanamo Naval Base (established by the US).

Cuba does not apply any sanction on US citizens, does not prohibit them from investing or engaging in tourism on its soil, does not prohibit their financial transactions, and it does not allow them to organize and carry out terrorist actions from Cuban territory against the United States.

The US falsehoods, which are repeated, reinvented and accommodated, have broken the Guinness record, and are truly worthy of consideration.

Among the recent falsehoods, is Cuba’s alleged purchase of more than 300 Iranian drones that can attack US territory. Another is related to the sonic attacks (also known as Havana syndrome) against US diplomats. Meanwhile, a third is about the existence of Chinese military spy bases, etc.

Washington has always spread these falsehoods without presenting any evidence or proof, while relying on anonymous sources or media outlets that are known for amplifying the lies of US officials, with the purpose of political manipulation.

Like the Palestinian people, the heroic Cuban people, are a people of peace. Yet, both peoples refuse to be naive and are prepared for any scenario.

The Cuban people do not want confrontation. They prefer dialogue, diplomacy and cooperation, and this has been demonstrated throughout all these years of revolution. Addressing the matter has been difficult and complex, but we have dealt with it without accepting conditions and with full respect for our sovereignty and non-interference in our internal affairs.

We are not perfect, neither is any country, but it is up to the Cubans to take the decisions of their political present and future and make the appropriate adjustments and corrections.

We do not accept pressure, threats, or blackmail on principle, and we prepare well and with a lot of creativity and resistance, through the defense of war doctrine for all our people in confrontation of any adventure of military aggression.

We Cubans will make the invader pay an expensive price, should they try through a prolonged and asymmetric war of attrition, which they will not endure, the way they have not been able to withstand  their unjustified wars against other peoples, who have fought in defense of their freedom, sovereignty, and independence.

Regarding the regional war waged by the US and its ally Israel against the countries of West Asia, particularly Iran and its concomitance with the rising threats against Cuba, we are more than convinced that it is not accidental and fortuitous.

The US Secretary of State and other officials, openly declared that the US will impose its interests on a global level through its military power.

The literal interpretation of what they said is that they feel themselves above international law and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, therefore, they will act without restrictions to attack and invade any country. The US would even violate its own constitution when it considers doing so, while nothing and no one would stop it.

Unfortunately, the level of impunity with which the Trump administration acts, makes no country in the world feel safe. It has disarticulated and jeopardized the international security order, in a way that may even lead to a global conflagration, and incalculable consequences. It also endangered the understanding of the entire humanity about the possible use of weapons of mass destruction.

This irresponsible policy poses a challenge to the entire international community if it decides to bow to this hegemonic attitude, and does not stop the unreasonable ambitions of a president, who is believed to be able to impose himself on multilateralism and the desire of the majority to build a better world of peace and solidarity.

Only the resistance of the peoples, who fight for their freedom and against the arrogance of the empire and its Israeli proxy, such as the Palestinian people, the Iranian people, and the Cuban people, among others, will survive and can never be defeated.

These peoples do not make concessions and do not submit to US-Israeli designs, despite all their military power.

This has been proved throughout history and the present, when it comes to peoples confronting the aggressiveness of declining empires.

BT: Do you believe that Cuba’s support for the Palestinian cause was one of the reasons that drove the US to step up its actions against it?

LMF: The example of Cuba’s resistance annoys them, and so is the example of its support for the just causes of the world, such as the struggle of the Palestinian people to return to their usurped land.

They do not tolerate that Cuba has had health cooperation in more than 67 nations in the world, with almost half a million personnel dispatched from Cuban health institutions. For example, Cuba initiated internationalist medical aid in Algeria in 1975, to help poor people in need.

They are upset that Cuba has graduated hundreds of professionals from third world countries. They are upset that Cuba helps with teachers and scientific methods to eradicate illiteracy in many countries of the Global South. They are upset that Cuba has one of the highest per capita indices of high-level scientists and the best educational levels in Latin America.

It bothers them that Cuba is the country with the most Olympic medals in Latin America. It bothers them that Cuban scientists have created five COVID vaccine candidates, and that thousands of doses were provided to other nations that needed it. This happened at the same time as the imperialists banned the Cuban people from getting oxygen and pulmonary ventilators for the intensive care units in the country.

They are concerned and do not tolerate that the Cuban doctors have helped to control the epidemic of Ebola virus in Africa. They resent that Cuba is an example, they are upset and do not tolerate that Cuba helps not with bombs but with doctors, and that it has been supported by broad solidarity all over the world. It bothers them that the UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution in favor of lifting the genocidal blockade against the Cuban people for 33 consecutive years, and by an overwhelming majority.

It annoys them that people do not believe their argument that Cuba is a failed state, that there is no such economic blockade, that the crisis which Cuba suffers is the responsibility of their government, and that the purpose of sanctions is to affect the government to paradoxically help the Cuban people.

They simply resent the fact that Cuba exists as a sovereign and independent nation and that is not subservient to its designs.

BT: What do the US threats against Cuba mean for West Asia?

LMF: The stability, security, development and well-being of all countries of the world are at stake today, even those with the greatest resources and potential due to their level of oil production like those in West Asia.

All together we have the sacred duty to uphold respect for international law, the UN Charter, peace, peaceful coexistence and self-determination, if you want to preserve humanity from an irreversible catastrophe.

No unjust war, no threatening language of arms should replace diplomacy and negotiation for the sake of peoples. We are all committed to creating a better world of greater social justice, inclusion, solidarity and peace. Only in this way can we confront the current tendencies of fascism, Zionism, discrimination and egoism, which serve the potency of  transnational powers, who believe themselves to be the masters of the world.

Like never before, the countries of the South must unite their efforts through their important groupings such as the G-77 and China, the Non-Aligned Movement, BRICS and others that promote cooperation, solidarity, and multilateralism to face the serious problems of humanity through science, education, and above all cooperation to implement new technologies for the benefit of our peoples.

If the world does not react and remains silent about the Palestinian genocide, the unfair aggression on the Iranian people, the aggression against the Venezuelan people and the kidnapping of their president, and on the intensification of coercive measures against Cuba, we will see much more suffering, destruction, and death from the war of the powerful in their hegemonic ambition. The world could not wait and must react if we want to save all of us as a rational species.

It is fair to acknowledge that most countries in West Asia have voted in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution, which called for lifting the US embargo on Cuba, which is appreciated by the Cuban government and people. In addition, Cuba maintains good diplomatic relations and cooperation in various economic projects of bilateral interests with these countries.

BT: How important is the international solidarity with Cuba, especially as Cuba was one of the first countries to cooperate and show solidarity with other nations during the COVID-19 pandemic, before and after it in various areas, despite its limited resources and the criminal US embargo that has been imposed on it for six and a half decades?

LMF: Cuba has always felt the solidarity of close friends, especially at moments when Cuban people needed it more in view of the negative impact, and the limitations imposed by the US cruel economic blockade.

Many countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly, Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and others, such as Russia and China, and various solidarity organizations from countries in Europe and other continents have made important contributions in food, medicines, supplies, and solar panels to mitigate the impact of the crisis affecting the Cuban people.

In Mexico, for example, a campaign has been launched to buy an oil vessel with contributions from the Mexican people, and reports surface every day about solidarity actions around the world, demonstrations and statements released by organizations voicing support for Cuba and criticizing the hostility of US policy.

All this solidarity showcased that Cuba is not alone, it is still loved by the peoples of the world. Despite the limitations, these peoples have felt the example of Cuba’s hands of solidarity when they needed it the most in different circumstances, ranging from climate catastrophes, programs of social and educational impact, up to the confrontation with epidemics, such as COVID.

The post Exclusive: Cuba’s ambassador sounds the alarm on escalating US war against the island appeared first on BT News.

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