Cuban president denounces ‘unprecedented’ escalation of US military threats

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday denounced the escalation of Washington's military threats against the country by US President Donald Trump.

"The President of the United States is escalating his threats of military aggression against Cuba to a dangerous and unprecedented level," Diaz-Canel wrote on US social media company X.

Diaz-Canel urged the international community and the people of the US to determine whether "such a drastic criminal act will be allowed in order to satisfy the interests of a small but wealthy and influential group driven by desires for revenge and domination."

"No aggressor, no matter how powerful, will find surrender in Cuba. They will face a people determined to defend sovereignty and independence in every inch of the national territory," he added.

Trump said on Friday the US will take over Cuba "almost immediately," hinting that aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln could be deployed offshore to force the island nation into submission.

Since the intervention in Venezuela in January, which captured President Nicolas Maduro, Trump has suggested that military operations in Cuba are on the table.