Cuba condemns US Venezuela operation as state terrorism, warns Trump threats risk regional fallout

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Monday condemned what he described as escalating threats from US President Donald Trump following a US military operation in Venezuela, rejecting Washington’s actions as “state terrorism” and warning that the attack could have serious consequences for Cuba and the wider region.

Speaking at a rally of thousands of Havana residents in front of the US Embassy on Saturday, Díaz-Canel denounced the US operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“Cuba condemns and denounces these actions as an act of state terrorism,” Díaz-Canel said.
“It is a shocking violation of the norms of international law – the military aggression against a peaceful nation that poses no threat to the United States,” he added.

His remarks came after Trump and senior US officials suggested that Havana could face further pressure following Washington’s actions in Venezuela.

US Rhetoric Raises Alarm in Havana

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that Cuba could be the next focus of Washington’s efforts in the region.

“If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned at least a little bit,” Rubio said, following the overnight US military operation in Venezuela.

Trump said on Saturday that Cuba’s economy would be further weakened by Maduro’s ouster.
“It’s going down,” Trump said of Cuba. “It’s going down for the count,” according to media.

Despite the rhetoric, Trump said he was not considering immediate military action against the island.

“No, Cuba is going to fall of its own volition. Cuba is doing very poorly,” Trump said in an interview with the New York Post.
“I don’t think we need to take any action. It looks like (the regime) is about to fall,” he added.

Cuban Casualties Confirmed

Cuban authorities announced that 32 Cuban security personnel were killed during the US strikes in Venezuela, declaring January 5 and 6 national days of mourning.

Cuban officials said the deaths occurred “after fierce resistance in direct combat against the attackers, or as a result of the bombing of the facilities.”

The announcement deepened concerns in Havana over the impact of Washington’s actions on Cuba’s closest ally.

Economic Fears Over Venezuela Ties

Venezuela supplies around 30% of Cuba’s already scarce oil imports in exchange for thousands of Cuban medical personnel working in the South American country/.

Analysts cited by the broadcaster warned that a disruption in oil supplies would deal a devastating blow to Cuba’s fragile energy system and power grid, which has already been hit by prolonged shortages and blackouts.

Cuba has been in a six-year economic crisis that has seen economic growth fall by at least 15%, according to government figures, with authorities blaming tougher US sanctions and the decades-old trade embargo.

Regional and International Response

Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez called on the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) to collectively defend regional sovereignty.

“Latin America is not a disputed territory, nor does it belong to anyone other than the sovereignty of its people,” Rodríguez said at an extraordinary CELAC summit.

He also demanded the immediate release of Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, who were flown to New York to face US federal charges. Maduro has denied the accusations, while Venezuelan officials insist he remains the country’s legitimate leader.

Unease Across Latin America

The US attack on Venezuela and Trump’s threats against multiple countries, including Cuba and Colombia, have unsettled a region that has seen relatively few interstate conflicts in recent decades.

Díaz-Canel urged the international community to respond.

He wrote on social media that Cuba “denounces and urgently demands an international response” to what he described as a “criminal” US attack on Venezuela.