Cuba's Díaz-Canel says preparing defense against U.S. is 'fundamental objective'

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel declared on Friday that preparing the island's defense against the "constant threat" of U.S. aggression is a "fundamental objective." He highlighted the ongoing efforts to enhance combat readiness through national, provincial, municipal, and zone-level defense councils.

The president stressed priorities including population protection, completing territorial defense structures, and refining plans for the country's full combat readiness. These statements come as the Cuban government has consistently accused Washington of threatening military intervention, prompting a renewed focus on population-wide preparedness exercises for such a scenario.

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The preparation for defense and the elevation of combat readiness in the interest of the War of All the People is a fundamental task, for which we have activated the National, Provincial, Municipal, and Zone Defense Councils.

The U.S. administration has been pressuring the Cuban government for months to implement deep reforms in its economic and political systems. Havana has refused, asserting that these internal matters fall within its national sovereignty and are non-negotiable. To further pressure the island, Washington has imposed an oil embargo, exacerbating Cuba's existing energy crisis, and enacted sanctions on individuals and entities operating in key sectors like energy, defense, finance, and mining.

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The protection of the population; the completion of structures in the territorial defense components; and the clarification, (...) of the content of the plans for bringing the country to full combat readiness.