A USA Today report saying Pentagon sources are ‘quietly ramping up’ preparations for a possible attack on Cuba if President Donald Trump orders one has renewed alarm among peace advocates and diplomats.
Trump himself has made repeated, provocative remarks about the island. Speaking about the US‑Israeli conflict with Iran, he joked that ‘we may stop by Cuba after we’re finished with this.’ He has also said he expects to ‘be having the honor of taking Cuba,’ and declared of the country and its 11 million people, ‘Whether I free it, take it – I think I can do anything I want.’
The USA Today piece, by Kim Hjelmgaard, Rick Jervis and Francesca Chambers, prompted warnings from anti‑war activists. David Adler, co‑general coordinator of Progressive International, wrote on X that ‘this is not a drill. Trump is preparing to take the US into another illegal war against Cuba to appease the Miami mafia,’ and urged action to block such a move.
Many Cubans have reacted with resignation or defiance rather than panic. Observers note that Cuba’s socialist government has survived through many US administrations. Asked on NBC’s Meet the Press whether Cuba would fight back, President Miguel Díaz‑Canel said that ‘if that happens, there will be fighting, and there will be a struggle, and we will defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we’ll die, because as our national anthem says, “Dying for the homeland is to live.”‘
Analysts stress that Washington’s hostility toward Cuba is long‑standing. During his first term Trump rolled back parts of the Obama administration’s diplomatic opening, invoked the Helms‑Burton Act’s provisions allowing lawsuits over property seized after the revolution, and on his final day in office re‑designated Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism — a move critics called baseless given Cuba’s record and the history of violent acts tied to militant exiles.
Since returning to office, Trump has reportedly intensified pressure on Havana, tightening the embargo and imposing severe restrictions on fuel imports that have contributed to an energy crisis marked by blackouts and humanitarian suffering among vulnerable people, including the sick and children.
In Congress, Senators Tim Kaine (D‑Va.), Adam Schiff (D‑Calif.) and Ruben Gallego (D‑Ariz.) introduced a war powers resolution intended to prevent the president from launching an attack on Cuba without the congressional authorization required by law. Similar resolutions tied to Iran, Venezuela and other potential actions have previously failed to pass.
This report and the reactions it provoked were covered by Common Dreams. The article was written by Brett Wilkins, a San Francisco‑based journalist who regularly contributes to Common Dreams and Counterpunch and is a member of the anti‑war collective Collective 20.
