Cuba Rallies Residents, Prepares for War

"Cuba's top officials are putting on their military uniforms to supervise defense exercises and have fanned out across the country urging local leaders to cut red tape, adopt a new mentality, and shake off their lethargy, as the Trump administration escalates regime-change efforts against the island nation after violently abducting strategic ally Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and first lady Celia Flores on January 3."

"On Thursday, President Trump issued a menacing executive order alleging that Cuba represents an imminent danger to national security and the region. Titled "Confronting the Cuban Regime," the order threatens to slap tariffs on any country that exports oil to the socialist nation. It comes as shock waves from events in Venezuela reverberate throughout a land already exhausted from a grueling economic crisis that has left residents navigating collapsing infrastructure and services, runaway inflation, and shortages of basic goods."

"With the smoke still lingering over Venezuela from the violent assault that left 32 Cuban military and intelligence personnel dead and others wounded, Trump announced that there would be no more Venezuelan oil or money for Cuba and warned its leaders to make a deal "before it's too late." The rhetoric and threats have continued, with talk of a failed state and what can be done to push it over."

Cuban authorities have mobilized in military uniforms to oversee defense exercises and are urging local leaders to cut bureaucracy, adopt a new mentality, and overcome lethargy. The United States has escalated pressure with a presidential executive order, "Confronting the Cuban Regime," which labels Cuba an imminent security threat and threatens tariffs on countries exporting oil to Cuba. The pressure follows violent US action in Venezuela that reportedly killed dozens of Cuban personnel and disrupted Venezuelan oil flows. Meanwhile, Cuba faces a severe economic crisis with collapsing infrastructure, runaway inflation, and shortages of basic goods, intensifying political and social vulnerability.

Read at The Nation