Díaz-Canel calls CIA report leaks a deliberate U.S. psychological-warfare plan

Cuban leader cites 20-hour outages, 98,500 awaiting surgery

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the United States on Saturday of waging “psychological warfare” against Cuba, contending that recent reporting by major U.S. media outlets about an alleged increase in CIA operations on the island is a deliberate maneuver to destabilize his government and not a string of coincidental “random leaks.” He spoke at the closing session of the 24th International Meeting of Communist and Workers’ Parties, held at the Palace of Conventions in Havana.

“We are living through the most dangerous period since the October Crisis,” Díaz-Canel said, using Cuba’s name for the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Díaz-Canel directly tied his accusations to the recent reports about an alleged rise in CIA operations involving Cuba. “We are not at all surprised by the revelations in recent days by major U.S. media outlets about an increase in CIA operations in Cuba to subvert the internal order,” he said. “These are not random leaks, as they are being portrayed, but part of the deliberate plan by the U.S. regime to wage psychological warfare against Cuba.”

Beyond economic pressure, the president said Cuba is facing a “high-intensity unconventional war” that he said includes “digital subversion,” funding for “internal mercenaries,” media smear campaigns and influence networks.

Díaz-Canel also accused the U.S. government of intensifying military threats and maintaining a policy of “regime change” toward Cuba, and he criticized the island’s continued inclusion on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. He cited recent remarks by Secretary of State Marco Rubio about sanctions against Cuba and said Washington is seeking to prevent the Cuban government from finding ways to ease economic pressure.

The accusations came as Cuba grapples with a prolonged economic and energy crisis. Díaz-Canel attributed much of the situation to U.S. sanctions and difficulties importing fuel and other resources. He said about 1,400 megawatts of distributed generation capacity remain offline because of a lack of diesel and fuel oil, and that if the capacity were available every day, power outages could be reduced to about three hours. Outages, he said, can exceed 20 hours a day in parts of the country.

The president also described difficulties in Cuba’s healthcare system. According to figures he presented, 98,500 patients are awaiting surgery, including 12,000 children, while only 30% of the country’s basic medicines are available. He said the technical availability of ambulances stands at 22%.

Díaz-Canel said U.S. sanctions and other measures are intended to increase social discontent to bring about political change in Cuba, and he called on the communist parties and allied movements gathered in Havana to intensify their opposition to U.S. policy toward the island. He urged those organizations to use digital platforms to counter what he called a “fascist media siege” and a “disinformation machine,” as well as to mobilize parliaments, labor unions and social movements against U.S. sanctions.