HAVANA: Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel defended his country’s military preparedness exercises on Saturday as a deterrent against potential aggression from the United States. US President Donald Trump this month warned that Cuba “is ready to fall” and told Havana to “make a deal” or pay a price similar to Venezuela, whose ousted leader Nicolas Maduro was taken to America by US forces in a January 3 bombing raid that killed dozens of people. Venezuela was a key ally of Cuba and a critical supplier of oil and money, which Trump has vowed to cut off.

Donald Trump has threatened to cut Venezuelan shipments of oil to Cuba, exerting further pressure on its economy.

HAVANA: Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel defended his country’s military preparedness exercises on Saturday as a deterrent against potential aggression from the United States. US…