Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said Monday that Cuba has the “absolute and legitimate right” to defend itself against any potential U.S. military aggression, after reports emerged alleging the island had acquired hundreds of military drones and discussed possible attacks on American targets.
Diaz-Canel warned that any military action against Cuba would result in a “bloodbath with incalculable consequences” and accused the United States of escalating threats against the country amid growing political and economic pressure on Havana.
The remarks followed a report by Axios, citing unverified classified U.S. intelligence assessments, which alleged that Cuba had obtained more than 300 military drones and discussed possible plans targeting the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, American military vessels, and potentially Key West, Florida.
CBS News said it had not independently confirmed the intelligence claims.
Diaz-Canel did not directly address the alleged drone stockpile but said Cuba “poses no threat” and has no “aggressive plans or intentions against any country,” including the United States.
“The threats of military aggression against Cuba by the world's greatest power are well known,” Diaz-Canel wrote on X.
He added that Cuba’s right to self-defense “cannot logically or honestly be used as an excuse to impose a war on the noble Cuban people.”
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez rejected the Axios report as “contradictory disinformation” and accused Washington of attempting to justify “a ruthless economic war against the Cuban people and an eventual military aggression.”
The statements came amid heightened tensions between Havana and Washington following the U.S. operation in Venezuela earlier this year and renewed sanctions pressure on Cuba.
President Donald Trump has publicly suggested possible intervention against Cuba in recent months, saying in March that he would have the “honor” of “taking Cuba in some form.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe also visited Havana last week, warning that Cuba could “no longer be a safe haven for adversaries.”
Cuba is currently facing severe blackouts, food shortages, and fuel supply problems as its economic crisis deepens.