Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla has refuted statements by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who characterized Cuba as a "national security threat" to the United States, labeling the claims as "lies."
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the minister shared these remarks on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Rodriguez stated that the US official is once again disseminating "false information," which he claims creates a pretext for military aggression that could escalate tensions between the citizens of Cuba and the United States. He emphasized that Cuba has never posed a threat to the national security of the United States and asserted that the primary cause of the ongoing economic crisis in the country is the stringent sanctions imposed by Washington.
The minister accused the United States of maintaining "systemic pressure" against the Cuban people for decades, highlighting that the intensification of the blockade in recent months has resulted in severe economic and social hardships. Furthermore, Rodriguez alleged that Washington "turns a blind eye to terrorist acts against Cuba" conducted from US territory and provides sanctuary to individuals involved in such activities. According to the minister, Washington's unilateral coercive measures severely hinder Cuba's economic development and produce devastating consequences across all sectors, including the private industry.
The diplomatic spat follows earlier comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who designated Cuba a "national security threat" and indicated a low probability of reaching diplomatic agreements with the Cuban administration. US President Donald Trump has also previously brought the possibility of military intervention against Cuba to the forefront of the political agenda. The US-imposed oil embargo and sanctions have significantly deepened the energy crisis in the island nation, leading to prolonged nationwide power outages in recent months.
The relationship between the United States and Cuba has remained fraught with tension since the 1959 revolution, characterized by a long-standing trade embargo and intermittent periods of diplomatic cooling. While there was a brief thaw in relations during the mid-2010s, the stance has significantly hardened under the current administration, with Washington citing concerns over human rights and Cuba's geopolitical alliances as the basis for continued economic restrictions.
