Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel told a group of foreign activists bringing humanitarian aid to the island on Friday (March 20) that Cuba was preparing for possible U.S. aggression.

Speaking at a solidarity event in Havana, Diaz-Canel quoted U.S. President Donald Trump as saying that all possible pressure had been applied to Cuba and that the only option remaining was to take over and destroy everything.

The Cuban leader emphasized that the country had launched a defence preparation plan based on the concept of a "war of all the people," which he described as defensive rather than aggressive.

Diaz-Canel also stressed that Cuba's revolutionary leadership remained united and that all decisions were made collectively, with historic leader Army General Raul Castro still present in the leadership.

According to earlier statements from Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister, the political system and presidency are not subject to negotiation with the United States, following reports that Washington sought to remove Diaz-Canel from power.

The Trump administration has imposed an oil blockade on the Communist-run nation, pushing it deeper into economic crisis as bilateral talks reportedly continue. Cuba entered discussions with Washington amid the crisis, though the U.S. proposal reportedly includes an "off-ramp" for Diaz-Canel with two years remaining in his presidential term.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

HAVANA, CUBA (MARCH 20, 2026) (AGENCY POOL - Access all)

1. CUBAN PRESIDENT MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL GREETING PARTICIPANTS AT SOLIDARITY ACT WITH CUBA EVENT

2. PARTICIPANTS APPLAUDING

3. DIAZ-CANEL AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE OFFICIALS APPLAUDING

4. CUBAN FLAG HANGING NEXT TO A BANNER READING (Spanish) "Latin America and the Caribbean, zone of peace"

5. FOREIGN MEMBERS OF SOLIDARITY GROUPS WITH CUBA

6. DIAZ-CANEL SPEAKING

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN PRESIDENT, MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, SAYING:

"The President of the United States, in one of his statements exclaimed that 'we have applied all possible pressure on Cuba.' They are acknowledging that they have blockaded us and that they have applied a policy of maximum pressure. How can they say that the blockade is our invention if they themselves are saying it? And in a second part of that statement he says the only thing left for us is to take the place and destroy everything. So in the face of all this situation that was already accumulating and that was serious, they apply the energy blockade that puts us in a more difficult situation, but we are not sitting with our arms crossed. First of all, we recognize that there could be an aggression against Cuba and we have unleashed a preparation plan to raise our people's readiness for defense in the interest of the war of all the people, which is our defense concept and which is a defensive conception, not aggressive, and to defend the country with the preparation and the preparation of all the people in defense."

8. MEMBERS OF SOLIDARITY GROUPS WITH CUBA APPLAUDING AND TAKING PHOTOS

9. DIAZ-CANEL SPEAKING

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CUBAN PRESIDENT, MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, SAYING:

"To you who are our sisters and brothers, we speak with complete honesty and transparency. I can responsibly affirm that the leadership of the Cuban Revolution is united. That all our decisions are made collectively and collegially, and that of course in that college and in that united leadership is present the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raul Castro."

11. DIAZ-CANEL AND AUDIENCE APPLAUDING