Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla responded on Monday to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks suggesting that "Cuba is ready to fall" following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. Rodríguez asserted that the Cuban people are prepared to "lay down their lives" to protect their sovereignty.
In a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Rodríguez Parrilla accused Trump of "complete ignorance about Cuba" and of echoing "the lies of Cuban-American politicians." He also labeled Trump's comments as "blasphemous and threatening" to the Cuban people.
"Our brave nation, loyal to its history of struggle, will defend itself against any imperialist aggression. For this land, we are ready to give our lives," the foreign minister proclaimed.
Rodríguez's remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Havana, following Trump's declaration aboard Air Force One that "Cuba is about to fall," two days after a U.S. military operation led to Maduro's capture in Caracas.
The U.S. president argued that the island "no longer has revenue" due to the collapse of Venezuelan oil, making the fall of the Havana regime "seem inevitable."
These statements were echoed by other U.S. government figures. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Cuba could be Washington's next target, while Senator Lindsey Graham warned that the regime's days were "numbered," describing the island as "the head of the snake" of hemispheric communism.
Earlier, Miguel Díaz-Canel had also vowed to "shed blood and life" for Maduro and Cuba, reinforcing a confrontational and resistant stance against perceived threats from the United States.
With this latest response, Rodríguez Parrilla continues the regime's longstanding rhetoric of military defiance and historical victimization, rallying around the narrative of "anti-imperialist resistance" as the island faces one of its most severe economic and political crises in decades.
U.S.-Cuba Tensions: Key Questions Answered
What prompted Bruno Rodríguez's response to Trump?
Bruno Rodríguez responded to Trump following remarks that suggested Cuba would fall after Nicolás Maduro's capture, asserting Cuba's willingness to protect its sovereignty.
How did Trump's comments escalate tensions with Cuba?
Trump's comments that Cuba "is about to fall" and lacks revenue due to Venezuelan oil collapse heightened the already tense relations between the U.S. and Cuba.
What other U.S. officials supported Trump's stance on Cuba?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Lindsey Graham echoed Trump's stance, suggesting that Cuba could be a target and describing the regime as "the head of the snake."