Cuba’s deputy foreign minister condemned U.S. sanctions, describing them as tantamount to genocide.
Published September 27, 2026
A senior Cuban official warned that any prospective U.S. military action against the island would constitute a serious breach of international law and rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that Cuba is a failed state.
On Sunday, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, Cuba’s deputy foreign minister, told C-SPAN’s Washington Journal that employing military force against Cuba — a peaceful neighbour — would be an atrocious international crime.
His remarks followed President Trump’s Tuesday address at the United Nations General Assembly, where he declared that “freedom will be coming” to the island, prompting the Cuban delegation to leave the hall. On Saturday, Trump suggested that military action might not be necessary, stating, “I don’t think we’ll need the military. Cuba is failing very badly.”
Fernández de Cossío asserted that pressuring nations that refuse to submit — by hindering commercial shipments, causing scarcity through starvation, limiting access to reliable healthcare, and withholding fuel, as the United States has done for the past nine months — constitutes genocide.
The United States has pursued a policy of maximum economic pressure against Cuba for over six decades. The Trump administration previously called for a transformation of Cuba’s government, and earlier this year imposed an additional oil and fuel blockade that has crippled the island’s infrastructure, resulting in severe fuel shortages and frequent power outages. Cuban officials noted systemic challenges in obtaining food and other essential goods for the nation’s 10 million‑plus population.
Fernández de Cossío said Havana must prepare its citizens for the possibility of U.S. military aggression, acknowledging that Cuba may be isolated but will exercise its legitimate right to self‑defence.
He noted that bilateral diplomatic channels with the United States remain open, though they have produced limited progress because of the ongoing economic stranglehold of sanctions; Havana is prepared to engage with Washington respectfully, provided discussions uphold mutual dignity, benefit both peoples, and respect state sovereignty.
Several nations condemned the United States’ continued economic sanctions and blockade of Cuba during the UNGA earlier this week.
