‘Cuba’s military preparing for possible US military aggression,’ says deputy foreign minister

Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has said that his country’s military is preparing to tackle a possible military aggression from the United States and stressed that Cuba’s leaders would be “naive” to ignore the possibility of conflict with the US. “Our military is always prepared, and in fact, it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that was aired on Sunday.

“We would be naïve not to consider the possibility of conflict looking at what’s happening around the world,” he added.

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The country’s leaders “truly hope that it doesn’t occur. We don’t see why it would have to occur, and we find no justification whatsoever,” Fernández de Cossío said.

The comments assume significance as there is an escalation in tensions between the US and Cuba after the military operation in Venezuela and capture of President Nicolas Maduro, who had close ties with Cuba’s leadership.

In a press conference after the operation, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had warned that military intervention in Cuba could be next. Rubio had said at the time, “If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned.”

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Fernández de Cossío said the oil blockade is the result of the US’ aggression against Cuba and it “cannot be sustained forever.”

Power grids in Cuba collapsed on Saturday, leaving the country without electricity for a third time in March.

“What’s happening today is that the US is threatening with coercive measures countries that might export fuel to Cuba, and that’s the reason why Cuba has not received fuel for a long time,” the deputy foreign minister said.

Earlier this month, Trump said that Cuba “is going to fall pretty soon” and its leaders “want to make a deal so badly.” Later in the month, Trump told reporters, he would have the “honour” of taking Cuba, saying “I think I could do anything I want with it.”

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The comments came just a few days after Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canal acknowledged that Cuban leaders were in talks with US leaders to make a deal and avoid military conflict.

Responding to Trump’s comments about having the “honour” to take over Cuba, de Cossio said, “We don’t know what they’re talking about. But I can tell you this, Cuba is a sovereign country and has the right to be a sovereign country.”

Fernández de Cossío also responded to comments Rubio made at the White House this week, telling reporters, “They’re in a lot of trouble, and the people in charge are, they don’t know how to fix it, so they have to get new people in charge.”

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The Cuban deputy foreign minister insisted that regime change was not on the table in talks between the two nations.

“The nature of the Cuban government, the structure of the Cuban government, and the members of the Cuban government are not part of the negotiation. That is something that no sovereign country negotiates,” he added.

On being asked if Cuban leaders would allow more than one political party to operate in the country, Fernández de Cossío said, “The US has only two political parties that can go to government. Are they ready to negotiate, to have 10 with equal possibilities of getting to the presidency, of getting in Congress?”