Cuba denounces US State Department report as propaganda

Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected a 100‑page report released by the U.S. Department of State on 20 July, titled “Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism.” The Cuban government called the document a “mediocre propaganda pamphlet” intended to justify collective punishment and to manufacture a pretext for a possible military aggression against the island.

The report accuses Havana of a long‑standing campaign of subversion, espionage, and influence‑building in the United States, linking the Cuban regime to left‑wing activist groups, alleged terrorist networks and to Chinese and Russian intelligence installations in Cuba. Cuban officials—including President Miguel Díaz‑Canel and Vice‑Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío—said the allegations are hypocritical, noting extensive U.S. interference in Cuba and warning that the narrative could be used to legitimize an armed attack.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials defended the publication as evidence of Cuba’s role in “left‑wing extremism” and as a basis for further pressure on Havana. The exchange has heightened diplomatic tension between the two countries.