HAVANA: Military convoys rumbled through Havana today [May 28] and soldiers manned artillery along the Capital’s waterfront following Premier Castro’s declaration of a state of alert in the face of “possible imminent Yankee aggression”.

All troops had their leave cancelled and some militia battalions were mobilised in a state of general preparedness, sources reported, but there had not so far been any general mobilisation of the people.

Throughout the night searchlights swept the sky.

Prime Minister Fidel Castro put the Cuban armed forces and people in a state of alert early today as United States-Cuban relations reached a fresh crisis point because of recent incidents at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo.

Immediately after the proclamation of the state of alert, which is equivalent to general mobilisation, President Osvaldo Dorticos announced over the nations radio and television network that “if the United States attacks us we will accept volunteers from all countries coming to our aid”.

“We will fight to the last man if the situation requires it,” he added.

The President’s statement was issued after a conference held the Ambassador’s Palace with the Ambassadors of the Socialist countries to inform them of the situation arising from a series of incidents at the US Guantanamo base.

The move came soon after an angry rejection by the Cuban Premier of American statements on alleged incursion of Cuban soldiers into the naval base in eastern Cuba on Monday [May 23].

Dr Castro declared: “They may be plotting an imperialist aggression against our fatherland.”

He issued two notes, one denying Pentagon statements on the incursions and a second rejecting a statement by Secretary of State Dean Rusk that Cubans “had better stop such incidents”.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2016