11/13/2026
On November 12, 2026, US President Donald Trump declared in an interview with Salem News Channel host Hugh Hewitt that he wants to “get Cuba done” before leaving office. He identified Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents are Cuban, as the person suited to lead this effort. Trump described Cuba as “essentially a failed nation” and, when asked whether he would consider military action against the island, responded: “I would certainly consider that.”
While US officials present their ongoing pressures on Cuba as efforts to promote “democratic transition” and “regional security”, these false claims serve to justify a longstanding policy of capitalist-imperialist intervention, economic coercion and regime change. Such policies do not serve the interests of working people. Instead, they deepen economic hardship, undermine living conditions and threaten the independence and self-determination that the Cuban people have defended since their 1959 revolution. We strongly condemn these imperialist and militaristic threats and express our full solidarity with the people of Cuba.
Cuba, a small island with a population of roughly 11 million, has endured decades of inhumane US sanctions, repeated attempts to destabilize its government and orchestrate coups, and hundreds of violent operations targeting its leaders. These include hundreds of plots and attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro during his lifetime, with some sources estimating their number at more than 600.
The people of Cuba are bearing the consequences of more than six decades of illegal US sanctions. The blockade has caused enormous hardships. As is characteristic of capitalist economic warfare, the working class and the poorest sections of society bear the heaviest burden. During Donald Trump’s first presidency, Cuba was appallingly placed on the US State Sponsors of Terrorism list. This designation further tightened economic restrictions and was reinstated upon his return to office.
Venezuela’s state-owned oil company continued to supply Cuba with vital fuel until January 2026. At that time, the United States illegally attacked Venezuela and abducted its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump subsequently signed an inhumane executive order threatening countries that supply fuel to Cuba with punitive tariffs and sanctions. This is blatant economic warfare aimed at isolating Cuba, restricting its access to essential resources and further punishing its population. It is an act of imperialist aggression that must be condemned.
Any attack on Cuba’s sovereignty, and any attempt to impose a political future on its people through military threats, economic warfare or regime-change operations, must be firmly condemned.
Working-class international solidarity is more essential today than ever. Drawing on our consistent and categorical opposition to imperialist intervention and military aggression, including the US-led war against Iran, IASWI joins thousands of labour, socialist and human rights organizations around the world in calling for an immediate end to the US blockade, military threats and all sanctions against Cuba.
