Following Latest Nationwide Blackout, Cuba Is Prepared for U.S. Military Aggression

Author: Vera Rousseff

March 26, 2026

HRRC calls for an immediate end to the United States’ oil blockade on Cuba, as it risks further exacerbating an already unstable humanitarian situation in the country. We strongly oppose any U.S. military intervention in Cuba and urge the Trump administration to engage in diplomatic discussions with the Cuban government.

Residents of Havana, Cuba, spend the night in darkness during the latest power outage on Saturday, March 21. [Image credit: AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa]

In an interview that aired last Sunday, March 22, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that Cuba’s military is prepared for a U.S. attack on the country. “Our military is always prepared, and in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression,” he said, adding, “We don’t see why it would have to occur, and we find no justification whatsoever.”

The statement comes a week after U.S. President Donald Trump said that he believes he will “have the honor” of taking Cuba, saying, “I mean, whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it.”

Cuba has been suffering from a severe fuel shortage since January, when U.S. forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and cut off Venezuela’s oil supply to the island. Cuba’s economy, which has long struggled under U.S.-imposed sanctions and trade embargoes, has further weakened due to the oil blockade, as have the country’s health, transportation, and education systems. In February, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the country may face total humanitarian “collapse” if the fuel crisis continues.

This month alone, Cuba experienced three nationwide power outages, with the last two occurring within just five days of each other. The most recent blackout occurred last Saturday, leaving hospitals, water systems, and other essential services without power. A local taxi driver told the AFP news agency, “I wonder if we are going to be like this our whole lives. You can’t live like this.” 

In recent days, groups have mobilized to support Cubans and speak out against U.S. intervention on the island. On Friday, an aid ship departed from Mexico, carrying humanitarian supplies bound for Cuba, such as food, solar panels, and medical supplies. While supporters see the flotilla as an act of solidarity, some critics, including members of the international Cuban diaspora, have expressed concern that the convoy supports the repressive agenda of the Cuban government. Meanwhile, in Madrid, demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. embassy on Monday to protest the U.S. blockade on Cuba and express their support for the Cuban people. Protesters held signs with anti-imperialist slogans and spoke out against U.S. intervention in Latin America as well as the Middle East.

Some experts have suggested that the Trump administration may be aiming for regime change in Cuba, possibly repeating the strategy that was employed in Venezuela. During Sunday’s interview, Fernández de Cossío insisted that Cuba would not accept such a move, saying, “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.”

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Glossary

• Aid ship: a boat that carries supplies like food, medicine, or equipment to help people in need.

• Blockade: an action that prevents goods or resources (like oil or food) from entering a country.

• Diaspora: a group of people from one country who live in many different countries around the world.

• Diplomatic discussions: talks between governments to solve problems peacefully.

• Embargo: a government order that limits or stops trade with another country.

• Flotilla: a group of ships traveling together.

• Fuel shortage: a lack of fuel (like oil or gas), which can affect electricity, transportation, and daily life.

• Geopolitical: related to how geography (location, resources, borders) affects politics and relationships between countries.

• Humanitarian crisis: a serious situation where people lack basic needs like food, water, healthcare, or safety.

• Humanitarian risk: the possibility that people’s basic needs or safety could be harmed.

• Imperialist: describes a country or policy that seeks to extend power and influence over other countries, often through political, economic, or military control.

• Intervention (military intervention): when one country uses its military in another country’s affairs.

• Nationwide blackout: a large-scale loss of electricity affecting most or all of a country.

• Regime change: when a government is replaced, often by outside pressure or force.

• Sanctions: penalties (often economic) used by one country to pressure another country to change its behavior.

• Slogans: short, memorable phrases used to express an idea, belief, or goal, often in protests, advertising, or campaigns.

• Solidarity: support and unity shown by a group of people toward a shared cause or toward others facing challenges.

• Sovereign country: an independent country that governs itself without outside control.

• Trade embargo: a type of sanction that stops or limits trade between countries.