Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the U.S. is in a "dangerous path" that could lead to "bloodbath in Cuba" as Washington continues to pressure the Havana regime.
Speaking to ABC News, Rodriguez said there has been "no progress" in talks between the countries. He added that he takes President Donald Trump's threats to the country "very seriously" and Havana is ready to respond and "exercise its right for its legitimate defense" if attacked militarily.
"It seems that the U.S. government has chosen a dangerous path, a path that could lead to unimaginable consequences, to humanitarian catastrophe, to a genocide, to the loss of Cuban and young American lives, it could also lead to a bloodbath in Cuba," Rodriguez said.
He went on to say that Havana is willing to continue engaging with Washington on different topics, but those related to the country's political system are "not on the table."
The U.S. is so far resorting to continued economic pressure. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday a new set of sanctions against the regime, this time targeting its military-industrial complex, its leader and a natural resources company ran by the state.
"These sanctions are part of the Trump Administration's comprehensive campaign to address the pressing national security threats posed by Cuba's communist regime and hold accountable the regime and those who provide it material or financial support," Rubio said in the announcement.
Concretely, the sanctions target Cuba's Grupo de Administracion Empresarial, or GAESA, which controls most of the country's economy and Rubio described as the "heart of Cuba's kleptocratic communist system." Ania Guillermina Lastres Morena, a senior member of the company's board of directors, has also been sanctioned.
The last sanction package targeted Moa Nickel, known as MNSA, and which operates the country's metals and mining sector. Rubio said its joint venture with Sherritt International Corporation "exploited Cuba's natural resources to benefit the regime at the expense of the Cuban people."
Rubio also addressed relations with Cuba this week, saying at a press briefing that the status quo in the country is unacceptable and the U.S. would address it. He also said the country would give more aid to Cuba but distribute it through the church.
Axios also reported that the State Department recently began detailing personnel to the U.S. Southern Command in Miami in anticipation of potential hostilities with the country. The department is also increasing its disaster-preparedness supply center in South Florida
Originally published on IBTimes
