March 20, 2026

Article published March 20, 2026, in lahaine.org. Translation: John Catalinotto

Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez, an icon of the songwriter scene in Latin America, said March 18 that he would demand his Kalashnikov assault rifle if the U.S., which is escalating its threats against the island, were to invade it. He also shared remarks by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who stated that “any external aggressor will face unyielding resistance.”

“I demand my AK-47 if they launch an attack. And let it be known that I mean this very seriously,” wrote Rodríguez, 79, in a post on his blog Segunda Cita, referring to the iconic Soviet assault rifle.

Throughout the post, Rodríguez analyzed Cuba’s current situation, the options facing Cuban revolutionary leaders, the methodology of the U.S. empire and the rhetorical traps that “normalize the violence of the blockade and blame the victim.” The musician wrote, “Every hour without electricity, every line to get food, every doctor who lacks supplies is a reminder of what it costs to resist.”

In an initial response on his blog, the author of more than 500 songs highlighted the promise made March 17 by Díaz-Canel that Cuba would offer “impregnable resistance” to the aggressor.

Díaz-Canel wrote Tuesday night on X, “Faced with the worst-case scenario, Cuba is accompanied by a certainty: any external aggressor will face impregnable resistance.” Cuba’s president also denounced Washington’s plans “to take over the country, its resources, its properties and even the very economy they seek to suffocate in order to force us to surrender.”

For weeks, Trump has stepped up his offensive statements against Cuba and its people. On March 16 the Republican strongman made a clownish remark, stating that he would have “the honor of taking Cuba, somehow” and that “I can do whatever I want with Cuba.”