Date: July 26, 2026
By Kimberly Wilson
PINAR DEL RÍO, Cuba — Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the United States of carrying out what he described as "political genocide" against Cuba during a speech marking the 73rd anniversary of the July 26, 1953 Moncada Barracks attack, the event widely regarded as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. He blamed the Trump administration's intensified sanctions and oil embargo for worsening the island's economic crisis and increasing hardships for ordinary Cubans.
Addressing supporters during the national commemoration in the western province of Pinar del Río, Díaz-Canel condemned recent U.S. policies, saying they were designed to cripple Cuba's economy and force political change through economic pressure. He argued that the sanctions have caused severe shortages of fuel, food, medicine, and essential supplies across the country.
"The United States is carrying out a political genocide against the Cuban people," Díaz-Canel declared, accusing Washington of deliberately worsening living conditions on the island through what Havana calls an economic blockade. He said the measures have inflicted suffering on millions of Cubans while failing to achieve their stated political objectives.
The Cuban leader also sharply criticized a recent U.S. State Department report that accused Cuba of infiltrating U.S. government institutions and supporting left-wing extremist movements inside the United States. Díaz-Canel dismissed the report as politically motivated, arguing that Washington was using Cuba as a scapegoat for domestic social unrest and political divisions.
According to the president, Cuba poses no military or security threat to the United States or any other country. Instead, he called for peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect and urged Washington to end decades of economic sanctions that Havana says have damaged the country's development.
The anniversary celebrations took place against the backdrop of one of Cuba's deepest economic crises in decades. The country continues to struggle with prolonged nationwide blackouts, chronic fuel shortages, soaring inflation, reduced public transportation services, and shortages of basic goods. Many schools have also shortened their academic calendars because of energy shortages.
Government officials say the tightening of U.S. sanctions under President Donald Trump has significantly worsened these challenges by limiting Cuba's access to fuel, international financing, and foreign investment. Cuban authorities argue that these restrictions have contributed to the withdrawal of several international companies operating on the island.
Despite his criticism of Washington, Díaz-Canel expressed gratitude to countries and organizations that have provided humanitarian assistance to Cuba during the ongoing crisis. He thanked international partners for supplying food, medical equipment, fuel, and other essential resources to help ease shortages affecting the population. (Reuters)
The anniversary ceremony also drew attention because Raúl Castro, the 95-year-old revolutionary leader and younger brother of Fidel Castro, did not attend the July 26 celebration for the first time in more than three decades. No official explanation was provided for his absence, although Díaz-Canel read a congratulatory message from him during the event.
Relations between Cuba and the United States have deteriorated significantly in recent months amid expanding U.S. sanctions, diplomatic disputes, and competing accusations over security, espionage, and regional influence. While Washington says its measures are aimed at promoting democracy and holding Cuba's leadership accountable, Havana insists the sanctions amount to collective punishment of the Cuban people.
Political analysts say Díaz-Canel's remarks reflect Cuba's increasingly confrontational stance toward the United States as the island grapples with mounting economic pressures and growing public frustration. The speech also reaffirmed the government's long-standing position that the U.S. embargo remains the principal obstacle to Cuba's economic recovery.
As Cuba commemorated one of the most symbolic dates in its revolutionary history, Díaz-Canel called on the international community to support the lifting of U.S. sanctions and urged Cubans to remain united despite the country's ongoing economic challenges. His address underscored the continuing ideological divide between Havana and Washington, a relationship that remains one of the most enduring geopolitical disputes in the Western Hemisphere.