Cubans react to tensions between the U.S. and Cuban governments

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(18 Mar 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS Havana, Cuba - 18 March 2026 1.⁠ ⁠Crowds of people waiting for public transport 2.⁠ ⁠Man with a crutch hitchhiking 3.⁠ ⁠Matilde Visoso sitting and waiting for public transport 4.⁠ ⁠SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Matilde Visoso, housewife: “If Trump were coming here, could I go into a store to get food? Because I’m in a situation where there’s no food at home. My daughter works. She makes 2,000 pesos. (10 U.S. dollars). It’s just the two of us. So, she goes to the bank to get paid, and there’s no money. And now Díaz-Canel has to leave. Cuba is in tears.” 5.⁠ ⁠Jesús García waiting for public transport 6.⁠ ⁠SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Jesús García, doctor: “I don't think they'll come in. Here in Cuba, I don't think they'll come in. Besides, the Americans can say whatever they want. It's the Cuban people who decide what happens here in Cuba. In my humble opinion, I don't think they'll come in or remove Díaz-Canel or the Castros or anyone else.” X ACCOUNT OF PRESIDENT OF CUBA/@DiazCanelB Internet - 17 March 2026 7.⁠ ⁠Post by Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuban President, which reads (Spanish): "The U.S. publicly threatens Cuba, almost every day, of using force to topple the constitutional order. It uses an outrageous excuse: the harsh limitations and the weakened economy that they have assaulted and tried to isolate for more than six decades." "They intend and announce plans to take over the country, its resources, properties, even the economy — which they seek to asphyxiate for us to surrender." "This is the only way to explain the fierce economic war used as a collective punishment against a whole population." "Foreseeing the worst scenario, Cuba has a certainty on its side: any foreign invader will clash with an impregnable resistance." ASSOCIATED PRESS Havana, Cuba - 18 March 2026 8.⁠ ⁠Various of people buying vegetables on the street 9.⁠ ⁠María del Carmen Companioni walking 10.⁠ ⁠SOUNDBITE (Spanish) María del Carmen Companioni, housewife: “I’m worried about the situation because I really want this to be resolved soon and for everything to be sorted out. We'll have to see how things turn out because everyone is very concerned about this situation.” 11.⁠ ⁠People lining up to buy bread 12.⁠ ⁠Various of people waiting to buy bread STORYLINE: Residents in Cuba on Wednesday weighed on the latest signs of tensions between the U.S. and Cuban governments, hours after President Miguel Díaz-Canel lashed out at recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump. Writing on the social platform X late Tuesday, Díaz-Canel said the Trump administration “publicly threatens” Cuba’s government almost daily with overthrowing it, and any act of aggression “will clash with an impregnable resistance.” The comments come after the new threats by Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the Cuban government's socialist economic model needs to “change dramatically.” President Trump suggested he can do “whatever he wants” with the island and that the U.S. could take imminent action against it. While the Cuban government places heavy restrictions on the country's private sector, decades of U.S. sanctions have crippled Cuba's economy. The Trump administration is looking for Díaz-Canel to leave as the U.S. continues negotiating with the Cuban government, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of talks between Washington and Havana. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss sensitive talks. The Cuban people, whom Trump and Rubio say they want to help, have been left reeling . Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/36818e080bfb422185c70e20ad33d77f