Cuba's president says 'we would die' to defend against U.S. invasion

EXCLUSIVECubaCubaCuba's president says 'we would die' to defend against U.S. invasionIn an exclusive interview with NBC News, Miguel Díaz-Canel stressed the need for dialogue but said Cuba is prepared to defend itself.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleExclusive: Cuban president says he’s 'not stepping down'01:32Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 12, 2026, 9:00 AM EDTBy Nicole Acevedo, Carmen Sesin and Orlando MatosPresident Miguel Díaz-Canel stood by Cuba’s leadership and didn’t concede a need for any changes to its government amid President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign against the communist country.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In a wide-ranging interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker in Havana on Thursday, Díaz-Canel said there’s no “justification for the United States to launch a military aggression against Cuba.”“An invasion to Cuba would have costs. ... It would affect the security of Cuba, the United States and of the region,” he said through a translator in his first American broadcast interview.“If that happens, there will be fighting, and there will be a struggle, and we will defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we’ll die, because as our national anthem says, ‘Dying for the homeland is to live,’” the Cuban president said.“Before making that decision, which is so irrational, there is a logic, that is, the logic of dialogue, to engage in discussions, to debate and try to reach agreements that would move us away from confrontation,” Díaz-Canel said.FORSUBSCRIBERS00:0000:00Kristen Welker reports on the ground from Havana, Cuba01:03Welker asked Díaz-Canel whether he was willing to commit to responding to “key demands” from the U.S., including releasing political prisoners, scheduling multiparty elections and recognizing unions and a free press.“Nobody has made those demands to u...