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President Donald Trump has been ramping up pressure on Cuba, one of the few Latin American countries still run by an authoritarian leftist administration, after US special forces seized Havana's ally Maduro and his wife on January 3.
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel waves a Cuban flag alongwith others during a march. (Photo: Reuters)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 19, 2026 02:12 IST
Cuba held a meeting of a key national defence committee to assess its readiness for war, state-run media said on Sunday, as tensions run high with the United States following the ouster of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro.
President Donald Trump has been ramping up pressure on Cuba, one of the few Latin American countries still run by an authoritarian leftist administration, after US special forces seized Havana’s ally Maduro and his wife on January 3.
The Defence Committee is tasked with taking control of Cuba in the event of war or a natural disaster. It met on Saturday “to increase and perfect the level of preparation and cohesion of the leadership and personnel organs,” according to a statement published in state media.
The goal of the meeting was “to analyse and approve plans and measures for shifting to a state of war” in the event of conflict with another country, the statement added, without providing further details.
It was the first time the committee, led by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, had met since the US attack on Venezuela. Among the dozens killed in the raid were 32 Cuban soldiers, some of whom were assigned to Maduro’s security detail.
Diaz-Canel last week reacted defiantly to Trump’s warning to Cuba to “make a deal” or face consequences in the aftermath of Maduro’s removal. He denied Trump’s assertion that the two countries were holding talks.
Trump has vowed to cut off all oil and financial support that Venezuela had been providing to Cuba’s struggling economy.
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Published By:
Satyam Singh
Published On:
Jan 19, 2026
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