Cuba warns US military action would cause 'bloodbath'

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel warned Monday that any U.S. military strike against Cuba would produce a "bloodbath" with grave regional consequences, one day after a report alleged Havana had secretly acquired more than 300 military drones and discussed targeting American military installations.

The standoff deepens a confrontation that has worsened since Washington cut off energy supplies to Cuba in January 2026, after the arrest of Venezuela's president. Cuba now endures rolling blackouts lasting more than 22 hours in some areas, a humanitarian crisis the government frames as proof that armed resistance remains necessary.

The Axios news outlet, citing classified U.S. intelligence in a report published Sunday, alleged that Cuba had assembled a fleet of more than 300 drones and that Cuban officials internally discussed striking the Guantanamo Bay naval base, American military vessels and the city of Key West, Fla., according to The Korea Times. Cuba's government rejected the claims outright. "Cuba does not represent a threat," President Diaz-Canel said in a post on X.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez defended Havana's position in legal terms. "Cuba, like every nation in the world, has the right to legitimate self-defense against external aggression under the U.N. Charter and international law," Rodriguez said in a social media post, The Korea Times reported. Cuban officials accused Washington of inventing a pretext to justify military intervention.

Relations between the two governments have deteriorated sharply since January 2026, when the Trump administration cut off energy supplies to Cuba after the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — a longtime Cuban ally and key source of oil. The resulting fuel shortage has left some regions of Cuba with electricity for only one to two hours per day, The Korea Times reported.

In a separate development, federal prosecutors were planning to indict former Cuban leader Raul Castro, 94, over Cuba's 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft flown by a humanitarian organization, according to Reuters. The expected charges represent another front in the Trump administration's escalating pressure campaign against Havana.

On Havana's streets, residents expressed a mix of defiance and desire for negotiation. "The Cuban people do not let anyone interfere with their land. Cubans know how to defend themselves, even with sticks and stones," said Jorge Villalobos, 87, according to The Korea Times. Sandra Roseaux, 57, struck a more combative tone: "I know Cuba is a strong country. Cubans are very brave and they are not going to find us unprepared. If they come, they will have to fight, because Cuba will respond." Ulises Medina, 58, urged a different approach: "It would not be right for the United States to invade Cuba, nor for Cuba to invade the United States. They must reach an agreement and talk and negotiate."

Cuba has framed the drone report as a deliberate fabrication designed to manufacture grounds for military intervention, casting the episode as the latest move in Washington's sustained pressure campaign. With no signs of de-escalation on either side, the already battered island faces an uncertain and potentially volatile chapter ahead.