Homeland or death': How Cuba would defend itself against a US attack

A US military confrontation with Cuba could be imminent as Raul Castro faces indictment tied to a 1996 incident involving the deaths of four American men. Cuba is not portrayed as entirely defenceless, with emphasis on its national defence approach. During extreme hurricanes, residents reportedly avoided panic because people already knew their assigned roles, including escorting vulnerable neighbours to shelters and clearing debris after the storm. Cuba’s civil defence system has been praised for minimising casualties in frequent extreme weather. Havana is now applying a similar framework to a potential US attack through a family guide that outlines responsibilities and safety protocols. The War of All People doctrine mobilises the civilian population through guerrilla resistance, local militias, and civil defence networks.

"With Castro indicted, a US military operation in Cuba could be imminent, but Havana is not entirely defenceless, some analysts argue. Helen Yaffe, in her frequent, regular trips to Cuba for the last 30 years, remembers once when a Category Four hurricane barrelled its way to the island. The academic and podcaster was then living in a house with 13 other people, and when the storm hit, there was no panic everyone already knew their role."

"Some escorted elderly and vulnerable neighbours to shelters. Others prepared to clear debris once the winds subsided. Cuba's system of national defence against such meteorological disasters has been lauded by the United Nations and the World Health Organization for minimising casualties despite frequent extreme weather. Now, Havana is seeking to apply a similar model to a different threat: a possible United States military confrontation, as President Donald Trump's rhetoric towards Cuba intensified on Wednesday, with US federal prosecutors indicting former Cuban President Raul Castro in the sharpest escalation between the two countries in years."

"Amid the tensions, on Saturday, Cuba's Civil Defence released a multi-page guide titled The Family Guide for Protection Against Military Aggression, listing the responsibilities of families in the case of a US attack, as well as numerous safety protocols. The guide builds from Cuba's defence doctrine, named War of All People, which it adopted after the fall of the Soviet Union, and envisions resisting foreign invasion by mobilising the entire civilian population through guerrilla warfare, local militias and civil defence networks, said Yaffe."

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