Havana, May 28th, 2026. – In an interview with PBS News following the arrival of material aid from China, Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal Ferreiro firmly rejected U.S. pressure and reiterated the island’s commitment to defending its sovereignty.
Vidal condemned the intensification of U.S. coercive measures, including the oil-energy blockade and secondary sanctions on foreign entities. “The coercion, the pressure on Cuba has increased, has strengthened,” she stated, emphasizing that these actions directly harm the Cuban people’s living conditions.
She categorically dismissed Washington’s portrayal of Cuba as a threat. “Cuba is not a threat to the United States, has never been a threat,” Vidal asserted, noting the continued existence of the U.S. Naval Base in Guantánamo—imposed against the will of the Cuban government and people. She challenged the U.S. to present any evidence of such a threat, calling the narrative a “pretext” to justify unjustified escalation.
The Deputy Minister also rejected the recent indictment against Army General Raúl Castro as “illegitimate, illegal, and totally fraudulent,” and placed full responsibility on the U.S. for the 1996 shoot-down of planes following Cuba’s exhausted diplomatic warnings over airspace violations.
Despite hostility being a “permanent characteristic” of bilateral relations, Vidal highlighted Cuba’s resilience—including a rapid doubling of renewable energy production via photovoltaic investment—as part of finding solutions to its challenges. She criticized U.S. Secretary of State’s remarks as ignorant of Cuba’s history and proud determination to defend its independence, rejecting any foreign dictate over Cuba’s political, economic, or social model.
(Cubaminrex)