Cuba is preparing for any US military aggression, citing the protection of families as evidence
Cuba’s Civil Defense Agency recently issued a comprehensive “family guide” aimed at advising citizens and providing them with means of protection against any US military aggression . According to Cuban provincial government websites, this move comes amid a marked escalation of tensions with the United States. The document, which has not received widespread national media coverage, was released at a time when relations between Washington and Havana, historical ideological adversaries, are extremely strained, raising the specter of complex consequences.
The roots of the historical conflict between Havana and Washington
To understand the overall context of this action, it is necessary to revisit the historical background of the event. US-Cuban relations have been characterized by hostility since the success of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. This conflict manifested itself in pivotal historical moments such as the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, which brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Since then, Washington has imposed a strict economic, commercial, and financial embargo on the island, forming the basis for the Cuban government's constant state of alert toward its northern neighbor and justifying the issuance of similar defensive manuals over the decades.
Tensions escalate, raising fears of US military aggression
In recent months, the crisis has taken on new dimensions, with the United States imposing a strict embargo on fuel supplies to the communist island, located just 150 kilometers from its coast. The US administration justifies these measures by claiming that Cuba poses an “extraordinary threat” to US national security. In a significant development, CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently traveled to Havana for an extraordinary meeting with senior Cuban officials, amidst months of difficult and complex negotiations between the two countries.
Details of the “Protection, Resistance, and Survival” document
In response to these threats, the Civil Defense Agency prepared a short document addressed “to all Cuban families.” The document provides “practical” information on “protecting lives against potential enemy attacks,” according to a statement published on the Havana province’s Citizen Portal. Radio Santi Spíritus, located in central Cuba, also published the information on its website and made the document available for direct download.
The document, titled “Protect, Resist, Survive, and Overcome,” includes a series of detailed recommendations. These range from the necessity of preparing a “family backpack containing drinking water, food, medicine, and personal hygiene items,” to how to be alert to “airstrike warnings.” The document also encourages citizens to learn “first aid” and emphasizes the importance of staying informed “through local defense councils.”.
Internal repercussions and the stifling economic crisis
This event is of paramount importance given its anticipated impact domestically. The publication of this document comes at a time when the island, with its 9.6 million inhabitants, is grappling with an unprecedented socio-economic crisis. Many Cubans lack basic necessities, exacerbating internal tensions. Furthermore, the country's electricity grid is in a critical state, with diesel and fuel oil reserves depleted, leading to frequent and prolonged power outages. These outages have sparked popular protests in several neighborhoods of the capital, Havana, in recent days.
At both the regional and international levels, this Cuban mobilization reflects an attempt to unify the domestic front and focus attention on the external threat, at a time when Havana is seeking to strengthen its alliances with other international powers to mitigate the impact of the embargo. The continuation of these tensions not only affects Cuba's stability but also casts a shadow over the security of the entire Caribbean region, prompting the international community to cautiously monitor the implications of this ongoing escalation and its impact on trade and regional security.
