Laritza Diversent, a lawyer and the director of Cubalex, has openly challenged the Cuban regime's narrative regarding its increasing militarization. She asserts that the deployment of special forces is not aimed at any foreign adversary, but rather at the Cuban people themselves.
“This military buildup is not being prepared to fight an American soldier coming to Cuba because that's not going to happen,” Diversent stated in an interview with Tania Costa for CiberCuba.
The attorney explained that the strategy behind this militarization serves a dual and calculated purpose. “The focus is on showing the communities that the regime has weaponry, and secondly, it’s a message of intimidation directed at them,” she elaborated.
Internal Repression and Historical Context
Diversent pointed to July 11, 2021, as the clearest evidence of this true intention, when Díaz-Canel issued his infamous "combat order" on national television and repressive forces were deployed en masse to quell the largest protests since 1959.
"The day will come when someone takes to the streets, like on July 11, when they gave the combat order and everyone went out to repress. That's what today's militarization is for," she asserted.
The so-called "black wasps," deployed to suppress domestic protests, are the visible aspect of this strategy. Diversent emphasized that the Cuban population is entirely disarmed in the face of such forces, as Fidel Castro has long ensured strict control over access to weapons.
The Psychological Warfare Against Citizens
“I don’t know what other civility we would be talking about, that there will be a massacre,” she remarked, referring to threats of a "bloodbath" made by Díaz-Canel and Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez in May 2026.
For Diversent, this militaristic rhetoric is not a warning to Washington but a tool of psychological terror aimed at the Cuban populace. "They are embedding this into the psychology, instilling paranoia in children to identify them in the event of a possible attack," she criticized.
The lawyer highlighted the inconsistency that reveals the regime's true intentions. The government sends military backpacks to schools and trains students with AK rifles and mines, yet has never provided guidance on hurricane protection. "Excuse me, don’t bring that to school. If when a hurricane was coming you never put anything in place nor provided families with guidance on protection, are you going to do it now? A possible war, no, no, no, no, that’s about intimidating and psychologically manipulating the population."
The Limits of Fear and Rising Defiance
Cubalex refers to this as a "system of defenselessness." “This is what we call the system of defenselessness, where people say there's nothing more I can do,” Diversent explained.
Cubalex's special report on militarization documented a 240% increase in repressive events in March 2026 compared to February, with 31 events linked to security and defense, of which 61% involved direct repression.
However, Diversent warned that the strategy of instilling fear has its limits, which the regime cannot manage. “What’s happening now is that people, with the heat, without electricity, without anything, say: ‘I’m frustrated, I’m taking to the streets with a pot,’ and that’s something they can’t handle,” she described.
This spontaneous disobedience, fueled by over 1,300 protests recorded in May 2026 featuring pot-banging, barricades, and cries for "Freedom," is what the regime fears but cannot contain.
Diversent compared the situation to what she witnessed in France, where she saw thousands of citizens protesting en masse in the Place de la République.
“We are infants compared to the French. You don't want to know what disobedience is. We are an extremely passive population,” she acknowledged.
But she was clear about the breaking point: “What they can’t deal with is that it has been 67 years and they are not accustomed to handling such disobedience.”
Understanding Cuban Militarization and Public Reaction
What is the main purpose of Cuba's militarization according to Laritza Diversent?
According to Laritza Diversent, Cuba's militarization primarily targets its own citizens rather than any foreign threat, using military presence as a tool of intimidation.
How does the Cuban regime use psychological tactics against its citizens?
The regime employs a psychological warfare strategy by instilling fear and paranoia among its citizens, including children, to maintain control and suppress dissent.
What evidence does Diversent provide for the internal focus of Cuban militarization?
Diversent cites the July 11, 2021 protests and the government's response as clear evidence of the internal focus of Cuba's militarization efforts.