Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said his country would fight and if necessary die to defend itself against any U.S. military invasion, in a wide-ranging interview with NBC News' Kristen Welker broadcast from Havana on Thursday.
The interview marked Díaz-Canel's first American broadcast appearance as president and comes amid increased pressure on Cuba from the Trump administration, which has threatened tariffs on countries supplying oil to the island and called for leadership change in Havana.
Díaz-Canel spoke through a translator, saying there is no justification for the United States to launch military aggression against Cuba. 'An invasion to Cuba would have costs... It would affect the security of Cuba, the United States and of the region,' he said. 'If that happens, there will be fighting, and we will defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we'll die, because as our national anthem says, Dying for the homeland is to live.'
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive critics of U.S. Cuba policy have long argued that the decades-old embargo has failed to achieve its goals and instead harms ordinary Cubans. Human rights organizations including PEN International and Amnesty International have called for the release of political prisoners, specifically naming Cuban rapper Maykel Osorbo, a Latin Grammy winner imprisoned since 2021 for writing a protest song.
Democrats have also questioned the effectiveness of Trump's hardline approach. Welker asked Díaz-Canel whether he would commit to releasing political prisoners, scheduling multiparty elections and recognizing unions and a free press. Díaz-Canel responded that these issues are 'not under negotiations with the United States' and called such demands 'extensively manipulated.'
Progressive voices have noted that Cuba produces less than 40% of the fuel it needs and relies on imports to operate its electric grid, with the shortage exacerbated by the loss of Venezuelan oil supplies following U.S. actions against former President Nicolás Maduro.
What the Right Is Saying
The Trump administration has taken a hard line against Cuba's communist government. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on March 27, 'You have to change the people in charge,' calling the country a 'disaster' because its economic system doesn't work.
A White House official, responding to Díaz-Canel's comments, said the administration is engaged in talks with Cuba and believes a deal 'would be very easily made.' The official called Cuba 'a failing nation whose rulers have had a major setback with the loss of support from Venezuela.'
Trump has said there may be 'a friendly takeover, it may not be a friendly takeover' when asked about Cuba. The administration has threatened tariffs on any country selling or supplying oil to Cuba, though Trump recently said he had 'no problem' with a Russian oil tanker delivering relief to the island.
What the Numbers Show
The U.S. embargo against Cuba has been in place since 1962, making it one of the longest-running economic sanctions in modern history. Díaz-Canel called the embargo 'genocidal and cruel' during the interview.
Cuba currently produces less than 40% of the fuel it needs to operate, according to statements in the interview. The country relied on Venezuela as its main oil supplier until exports were cut off following U.S. actions against Maduro's government.
Cuban rapper Maykel Osorbo has been imprisoned since 2021. He is a Latin Grammy winner whose detention followed mass protests in Cuba during the Covid pandemic over conditions and shortages. International human rights organizations have called for his release.
Díaz-Canel said he had not spoken to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and does not know him, indicating no direct diplomatic contact between the two governments at the cabinet level.
The Bottom Line
The interview highlights the deepening standoff between Washington and Havana, with Díaz-Canel ruling out negotiations on political prisoners or electoral reform while simultaneously expressing openness to dialogue. The Cuban leader urged the U.S. to pursue 'the logic of dialogue' rather than military action, though he acknowledged any deal would be 'difficult.'
The White House has indicated it believes Cuba's leaders want to make a deal, suggesting some diplomatic space may exist despite the public posturing. Human rights organizations continue to press for prisoner releases, while Cuba's economic crisis — driven by fuel shortages and the embargo — appears to be a key driver of the island's willingness to engage with Washington, according to Díaz-Canel. The interview offered no indication of immediate breakthroughs on either the political or economic front.