Cuba warned of the unpredictable global consequences that a U.S. military aggression would bring today, noting that it "would cause a humanitarian catastrophe." During her address before the Plenary of the 12th Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum in Madrid, the Vice President of the Cuban National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP), Ana María Mari Machado, emphasized that such an action "would destabilize the region of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace."

Along these lines, the official, who also serves as Vice President of the Council of State, denounced the "silent genocide and collective punishment against the Cuban people through the economic, commercial, and financial blockade" maintained by the U.S. government, which she stated has been "reinforced in recent months to extreme and unprecedented levels."

In this regard, she pointed to the imposition of an energy siege on Cuba and a comprehensive scheme of secondary sanctions "against any third-country entity that maintains investments or commercial or financial ties with Cuban entities, under the absurd pretext that Cuba is a threat to the national security of the United States."

Mari Machado added that "an additional element has been the use of increasingly threatening and warlike rhetoric against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cuba."

The ANPP Vice President argued that "the cost of this ruthless economic war against the Cuban people is incalculable," providing two specific examples.

She noted that infant mortality on the Caribbean island has more than doubled, rising from 4.4 to 9.9 per thousand live births.

Furthermore, she highlighted that thousands of shipping containers containing food, medicine, and other essential supplies "are currently paralyzed in various ports around the world, despite most having been contracted and paid for by private Cuban companies, due to threats against shipping companies registered in various countries."

She likewise called attention to the fact that "behind these disruptions are human lives, victims of a policy designed to inflict suffering and anguish" on the nation.

Mari Machado expressed gratitude for the statements of support and solidarity received from legislative bodies, parliamentary friendship groups, and lawmakers "denouncing the aggressive escalation" by Washington against Cuba.

"We reiterate, on behalf of our people: Cuba is not a threat; the blockade is! We are a nation of peace. We demand an end to the blockade, the energy siege, and all unilateral coercive measures against our country," she declared.

In another section of her speech, she praised the importance of the Ibero-American Parliamentary Forum, stating her conviction that "this gathering serves as another excellent opportunity for rapprochement, unity, and solidarity among our peoples, who have been united for centuries by unbreakable bonds."

Mari Machado also addressed the volatile international environment, which she said "requires us to act accordingly, making effective use of parliamentary diplomacy in defense of peace, multilateralism, and respect for the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and International Law."