As hunger and poverty intensify across Cuba, the island's socialist government has launched a signature campaign urging nearly 10 million citizens to stand against what it calls U.S. threats of military aggression and an economic blockade that officials describe as "genocidal." The "My signature for the Homeland" initiative, launched by President Miguel Díaz-Canel on April 19, comes as escalating rhetoric from Washington—including suggestions of invasion and "friendly takeover"—collides with a humanitarian crisis deepening under decades of sanctions.
A Campaign Born of Crisis
The signature drive began 11 days ago, coinciding with the 65th anniversary of Cuba's April 1961 Bay of Pigs victory over some 1,500 CIA-backed Cuban exiles who attempted to overthrow Fidel Castro's newly formed Communist government. The government is gathering signatures at workplaces and neighborhoods across the island but has not disclosed how many it has collected. The campaign aims to condemn "the U.S. blockade and economic war against Cuba" and to repudiate threats of military aggression while upholding "the inalienable right of Cubans to live in peace," according to the Cuban government.
Rodolfo Ruiz, a 64-year-old Havana resident who sells sunglasses and other items from his home, said he signed last week because of President Donald Trump's ongoing comments over Cuba. "Anything for the revolution," Ruiz said, adding, "Watch out, Trump. Think before you invade Cuba, think carefully. The people are prepared."
Escalating U.S. Rhetoric and Human Cost
In January, 4 months ago, Trump signed an executive order asserting that the "policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Cuba constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat." Trump has referred to the island as a "failing nation" and suggested a "friendly takeover." About 2 weeks ago in mid-April, he said, "We may stop by Cuba after we're finished with this," referring to the war in Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who fled before the revolution, has called for "new people in charge" of Cuba. Yet the campaign has drawn mixed reactions inside Cuba, where some critics on social media questioned why people would stand in line to sign when hunger and poverty are growing across the island. Critics said the government should allow people to sign in favor of things such as the ability to choose their president.
Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodríguez wrote in a post on X on Wednesday, 1 day ago, "It is absurd for the State Department to claim that Cuba—a relatively small, developing country subjected to a brutal economic war—could pose a threat to the world's greatest military, technological, and economic power."
Voices of Defiance Amid Hardship
Havana resident Delfina Hernández said she would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Cubans to fight a U.S. energy blockade, which she described as a sharpening of longtime U.S. sanctions and what many refer to as the "imperialist threat." The community center she runs in Havana with her husband received sheets of paper for three days last week and opened its doors so people over age 16 could sign them. She was the first to do so.
"Cuba is something very sacred to us," Hernández said. "We are well-armed, and the people of Cuba will fight to the very end. We are going to hit them—and with everything we've got." Her husband, Alberto Olivera, a visual artist, questioned how Cuba poses a threat to the U.S., saying, "If it's a failed revolution, then leave us alone. What do they care?" He also said he has been hungry at times but that the U.S. "pressure cooker" tactic would not work, adding, "If I'm a failed state, why are you seeking me out?"
Díaz-Canel has said he does not want military aggression, but noted that Cuba has a duty to prepare to avoid it and, if necessary, defeat it. Supporters say the campaign is a warning to the United States that civilians want peace but will not back down despite recent threats of invasion.
Demands and Dialogue
The Trump administration has demanded that Cuba release political prisoners, implement major economic reforms and change its way of governance, all of which Cuba has rejected. Cuba says it is open to dialogue and cooperation in certain areas as it pushes for the end of a U.S. energy blockade that has deepened the island's crises. Both countries have confirmed recent talks, although details remain secret.
Why This Matters:
The signature campaign reveals how ordinary Cubans are caught between escalating geopolitical threats and a worsening humanitarian crisis driven by what the island's government calls an economic blockade. As residents like Olivera admit to experiencing hunger, the U.S. policy of intensified sanctions raises questions about whether isolating a small developing nation serves human rights or deepens civilian suffering. The rhetoric of invasion and regime change from Washington—directed at a country that poses no military threat to the world's most powerful nation—underscores the human cost of coercive diplomacy. For millions of Cubans struggling with poverty, the campaign represents both defiance and a plea for the right to self-determination free from external pressure that compounds their hardship.