Cuba ready for potential US attack but wants dialogue

Washington: A top Cuban diplomat said the communist-led island is making preparations in the event of a potential US attack, but insisted it has "no quarrel" with Washington, according to an interview that aired Sunday.

"Our military is always prepared. And in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression," Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio told NBC, adding, however, "we truly hope that it doesn't occur."

"Cuba has no quarrel with the United States. We do have the need and the right to protect ourself. But we are willing to sit down," Fernandez de Cossio said.

The interview aired as Cuban authorities were scrambling Sunday to restore power to the island after the second nationwide blackout in less than a week, as the grid struggles due to aging infrastructure and a US oil blockade.

The breakdowns have intensified since Cuba's main regional ally and oil supplier, Venezuela's socialist leader Nicolas Maduro, was captured in a US military operation in January.

In the interview, which was taped before the blackout, Fernandez de Cossio continued: "We are acting as proactively as we can to cope with the situation."

"We do hope that fuel will reach Cuba one way or the other and that this boycott that the United States has been imposing does not last and cannot be sustained forever."

Power went back on in some parts of Havana, but others were still dark early Sunday, a day after the energy ministry reported a "total disconnection" of the national electric system in the country of nearly 10 million people.

There have been seven nationwide blackouts since 2024, making life more difficult for Cubans who fear food will spoil in refrigerators, among other problems in a country in economic crisis.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to Cuba.

No oil has been imported to the island since January 9, hitting the power sector while also forcing airlines to curtail flights to the island, a blow to the all-important tourism sector.