Cuban president outlines 'three scenarios' US may take

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has articulated three possible scenarios the United States might pursue in its pressure campaign against the communist-led island. Speaking in an interview with Spanish digital news outlet elDiario.es, Diaz-Canel stated that the U.S. is considering fomenting social unrest, assuming economic control, or launching a military campaign.

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They are betting on three scenarios. One scenario is through economic strangulation to provoke social unrest, and for that social unrest to then give them the chance, under the pretext of humanitarian aid, to intervene.

These remarks come as Cuba grapples with a severe economic crisis, intensified by the Trump administration's policies, including a fuel blockade and increased sanctions. Diaz-Canel detailed the first scenario as using "economic strangulation to provoke social unrest," which could then provide a pretext for U.S. intervention under the guise of humanitarian aid.

The second scenario, according to Diaz-Canel, involves a "coercive dialogue" and "maximum pressure" aimed at seizing control of the Cuban economy. This economic occupation, he explained, would be a step towards provoking a change in the political system, which he identified as the ultimate objective of the United States. The U.S. has recently intensified pressure on foreign businesses operating in Cuba, threatening sanctions against those engaging with state-run enterprises, and has also imposed sanctions on Diaz-Canel and members of the Castro family.

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continue a coercive dialogue with Cuba, using maximum pressure, in order to seize the Cuban economy, to occupy the country economically and for that to then give them the possibility of provoking a change in the political system, which is the ultimate goal of the United States.

Diaz-Canel described a "third scenario" involving "military aggression," noting that these possibilities have been voiced by President Trump and U.S. officials. In response to the potential for military action, the Cuban president asserted the nation's right to prepare for its defense, ensuring there would be "no surprise" and "no defeat."

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A third scenario is that of military aggression.