Cuba hopes World Cup will deter US attack – but prepares for worst
As Cuba endures a US oil blockade, many hope the World Cup will prevent a US military intervention, although tensions continue to escalate.
With Cuba suffering under a nearly five-month-long US oil blockade, many on the island are hoping the World Cup will deter a US attack – or at least provide a respite until the tournament ends on 19 July.
Former Cuban ambassador to the EU, Carlos Alzugaray, said the start of the World Cup would make it harder for the US to carry out a military operation in Cuba. He noted Cuba's proximity to the US, stating it could strike many targets inside the US, especially in south Florida, with drones or other weapons.
Miami, just over 200 miles from Cuba's north coast, will host seven matches, including Scotland vs Brazil. The Scottish Football Association expects 20,000 fans to travel. Eight nations, including England and Scotland, have training camps in Florida.
Last month, leaked US intelligence documents suggested Cuba's communist government acquired 300 military drones from Russia and Iran. Some Iranian drones have a maximum range of 1,500 miles (2,400 km).
On Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, visiting Guantánamo Bay, warned Cuba against acquiring weapons that could reach the base or the US homeland. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has warned that any US military assault would result in "a bloodbath with incalculable consequences."
Tensions are rising: the USS Nimitz carrier group is off Cuba's western tip, US surveillance aircraft are scanning the island, and former Cuban President Raúl Castro has been indicted for murder. The World Cup is seen as a possible salvation, or at least a reprieve from Trump's attention.
Meanwhile, protests are growing in Cuba, with power outages lasting days. In Havana, demonstrators blocked streets. A former Scotland international commented that a US attack during the World Cup would be "the biggest shot in the foot it's possible to make."
