Morales Ojeda Asserts Cuban Policy Shouldn't Be Influenced by Coercion

Roberto Morales Ojeda, the Secretary of Organization for the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), declared on Saturday that "no policy towards Cuba should be shaped by electoral pressures, blackmail, or short-term tactical calculations." His statement, shared on platform X, comes amid deteriorating relations between Havana and Washington.

Morales Ojeda, a member of the Political Bureau, accompanied his message with an image of the José Martí Memorial in Havana's Revolution Square, emphasizing that "history shows us that understanding is always possible beyond confrontation."

This statement was released a day after former U.S. President Donald Trump, at a Republican rally in Fort Myers, Florida, threatened to position a U.S. warship "about 50 yards" from the Cuban coast upon its return from operations in Iran. During the same event, he announced plans to dispatch Secretary of State Marco Rubio to "close the deal."

Additionally, on Friday, Rubio publicly urged Cuban citizens to discreetly collaborate with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to seek political change on the island. The agency released a Spanish-language guide on Instagram detailing seven steps for safely and anonymously making contact, including instructions on using virtual private networks (VPNs), incognito mode, disposable emails, and deleting browsing history.

Other senior Cuban government officials also responded to U.S. statements. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla warned that Cuba's coasts are "hostile and unwelcoming" to those with hostile intentions, while President Miguel Díaz-Canel hailed January 1, 1959, as the true date of the country's independence.

Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío labeled the U.S. government as a "terrorist and criminal state." He also mocked the CIA's initiative, suggesting, "there must be much desperation or poverty within the agency's ranks if they are selling their offers like toothpaste."

The use of the term "blackmail" by Morales Ojeda aligns with the language Cuban authorities often use to denounce Washington's pressure on third countries regarding the annual United Nations General Assembly vote on the embargo, scheduled for October 28.

The Cuban Foreign Minister accused Rubio of coercing foreign leaders to reduce support for the resolution against the embargo. Allegations suggest that such pressures include threats of tariffs, sanctions, and visa denials to officials from countries voting in favor of the text.

International support for the resolution dropped from 187 votes in 2024 to 165 in 2025. Cuban authorities anticipate further reductions this year amid increasing diplomatic pressure on Havana.