Cuba's President Says 'we Would Die' To Defend Against U.s. Invasion

President Miguel Díaz-Canel stood by Cuba’s activity and didn’t concede a request for immoderate changes to its authorities amid President Donald Trump’s unit run against nan communist country.

In a wide-ranging question and reply pinch NBC News’ “Meet nan Press” moderator Kristen Welker successful Havana connected Thursday, Díaz-Canel said there’s nary “justification for nan United States to motorboat a subject aggression against Cuba.”

“An penetration to Cuba would person costs. ... It would impact nan information of Cuba, nan United States and of nan region,” he said through a translator successful his first American broadcast interview.

“If that happens, location will beryllium fighting, and location will beryllium a struggle, and we will take sides ourselves, and if we request to die, we’ll die, because arsenic our nationalist anthem says, ‘Dying for nan homeland is to live,’” nan Cuban president said.

“Before making that decision, which is truthful irrational, location is simply a logic, that is, nan logic of dialogue, to prosecute successful discussions, to statement and effort to scope agreements that would move america distant from confrontation,” Díaz-Canel said.

Welker asked Díaz-Canel whether he was consenting to perpetrate to responding to “key demands” from nan U.S., including releasing governmental prisoners, scheduling multiparty elections and recognizing unions and a free press.

“Nobody has made those demands to us, and we person established that successful respect to our governmental strategy aliases law order, these are issues that are not nether negotiations pinch nan United States,” Díaz-Canel answered, adding that those issues are “extensively manipulated.”

Welker past pressed Díaz-Canel connected nan rumor of governmental prisoners, asking whether Cuba would perpetrate to their merchandise and specifically naming Cuban rapper Maykel Osorbo, a Latin Grammy victor who has been successful situation since 2021 for penning a protestation opus after thousands of Cubans took to nan streets to protestation conditions and shortages during nan Covid pandemic.

Díaz-Canel did not perpetrate to releasing governmental prisoners and rejected their characterization arsenic such, saying location are group successful Cuba who are not successful favour of nan gyration “and manifest themselves connected a regular basis” who are not successful prison.

“This communicative that has been created, that image that anyone who speaks against a gyration is thrown into jail, that’s a large lie, that’s a slander, and that’s portion of that conception successful bid to vilify and to prosecute a characteristic assassination of nan Cuban Revolution,” Díaz-Canel said.

International quality authorities organizations like PEN International and Amnesty International person called for Osorbo’s release.

There is grounds that nan Trump administration’s unit run has been felt successful nan country. Around mid-March, Cuban officials took a crisp move successful their reside toward nan U.S., saying they are prepared to face immoderate attacks from nan U.S. The authorities ordered an summation successful subject exercises that often aerial during nationalist newscasts.

Díaz-Canel has insisted Cuba’s position is “entirely protect and not aggressive,” and he’s made akin remarks successful caller speeches and interviews.

“Again, fto maine repeat. This is not what we want. We don’t want war. We don’t want an attack,” he said.

Díaz-Canel urged a speech based connected “respect” betwixt nan 2 countries’ forms of government.

Welker asked if it was imaginable to “get a woody pinch President Trump.”

“I deliberation speech and deals pinch nan U.S. authorities are possible,” Díaz-Canel answered, “but they’re difficult.” He said he had not spoken to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and he doesn’t cognize him.

NBC News' "Meet nan Press" moderator Kristen Welker and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel.NBC News

Trump said past period erstwhile asked astir Cuba that there whitethorn beryllium “a friends takeover, it whitethorn not beryllium a friends takeover.” Rubio told reporters connected March 27, “You person to alteration nan group successful charge,” adding nan state was a “disaster” because its economical strategy didn’t work.

In consequence to Díaz-Canel’s comments to NBC News, a White House charismatic connected Thursday said that nan management is talking to Cuba, adding its leaders want to make a woody and should make a deal, which Trump believes “would beryllium very easy made.”

“Cuba is simply a failing federation whose rulers person had a awesome setback pinch nan nonaccomplishment of support from Venezuela,” nan White House charismatic said Thursday.

Throughout nan interview, Díaz-Canel blamed nan 67-year-old U.S. economical embargo erstwhile he was asked astir Cuba’s existing conditions, including its energy situation arsenic good arsenic ongoing proviso shortages and poverty.

When asked whether Cuba would “take immoderate responsibility” and alteration its economical strategy to relieve suffering successful nan country, Díaz-Canel said, “That’s sewage thing to do pinch nan governmental system.”

The U.S. imposed nan embargo successful 1962 as a consequence to Fidel Castro’s confiscation of American businesses and properties connected nan land pursuing nan 1959 revolution.

Díaz-Canel called nan embargo “genocidal and cruel” and said that moreover during nan Covid pandemic, nan argumentation prevented nan state from accessing definite components — though he touted his country’s expertise to manufacture a Covid vaccine and different equipment.

“I deliberation nan U.S. authorities should reappraisal really sadistic and really mean they’ve been to Cuba and to nan Cuban people,” he said.

When asked why Cuba hasn’t made reforms for illustration different communist aliases one-party countries for illustration Vietnam and China, Díaz-Canel cited nan embargo arsenic good arsenic nan truth that Cuba is an land 90 miles from nan U.S.

Cuba produces little than 40% of nan substance it needs and relies connected imports to run its crumbling electrical grid. Venezuela was Cuba’s main supplier of lipid until it was trim disconnected pursuing nan U.S. seizure of erstwhile President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump past threatened to enforce tariffs connected immoderate state that sells aliases supplies lipid to Cuba, though he precocious said he had “no problem” pinch a Russian lipid tanker delivering alleviation to nan island.

People were already dealing pinch inflation, shortages and blackouts, and nan shortage has exacerbated an already dire situation.

Amid nan monolithic substance shortage, Díaz-Canel said Cuba was unfastened to doing business pinch U.S. companies.

“We’re unfastened for overseas finance successful Cuba successful lipid exploration and drilling. And that’ll beryllium an opportunity for American businessmen and firms who tin travel and participate successful Cuba successful nan power sector,” Díaz-Canel said.

It is against U.S. rule for Americans (individuals and companies) to put successful Cuba’s lipid sector, but nan Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control tin rumor a licence allowing an American institution to do so.

Díaz-Canel cited collaborations betwixt nan U.S. and Cuba specified arsenic aesculapian investigation and combating supplier trafficking arsenic he agreed there’s a request to prosecute successful dialogue.

But he besides alluded to nan warfare successful nan Middle East — and nan Trump administration’s erstwhile calls for dialogue.

“The U.S. has been engaged successful talks pinch different countries, and while these negotiations are underway, they person attacked those countries, and each of this creates a batch of distrust,” Díaz-Canel said.

Nicole Acevedo reported from New York, Carmen Sesin from Miami and Orlando Matos from Havana.