Journalist Mario Pentón on Voz News: "The Cuban people would welcome U.S. soldiers with relief and open arms in the event of military action"

Martí Noticias journalist Mario Pentón stated Monday on the Voz News newscast that most Cubans would welcome with relief a potential U.S. military action against the Cuban regime. During an interview with anchor and executive director Karina Yapor, Pentón argued that the Cuban people would welcome U.S. forces with open arms because, in his view, they would see them as a way to end decades of dictatorship.

"The overwhelming majority of the Cuban people will react with relief and will react by opening their arms and welcoming an army that will liberate them from the yoke of a 70-year dictatorship that has impoverished the nation," Pentón said. The journalist added that the island's current situation explains this possible reaction and described the images of Cuba as those of "the most absolute poverty."

Pentón made these statements after President Donald Trump ruled out, at least for now, the need to use the U.S. military against Cuba and indicated that he believes an agreement could be reached with the regime. The Cuban journalist considered that Trump's statements are part of a broader strategy of pressure against the Cuban regime. "These are the president's statements, which are clearly part of a much broader strategy of pressure against the Cuban regime, ranging from diplomatic pressure to the threat of force," he explained.

Elsewhere in the interview, Pentón acknowledged that a military intervention would not be the desirable scenario, but he questioned whether the Cuban regime could be persuaded through negotiations. "Of course, no one would want to see an invasion or armed action, because obviously the vast majority of us prefer peace and dialogue; we prefer to resolve issues peacefully," he stated, immediately posing a question: "Now, the question is, can you resolve things peacefully with a mafia?"

Pentón extended his argument to the Venezuelan case as well and maintained that, from his perspective, the regimes in Cuba and Venezuela are not trustworthy negotiating partners. "From my point of view, no, and this applies to both Cuba and Venezuela. These people are not to be trusted; they are not decent people", he stated.

The journalist also argued that the Cuban population finds itself in a vulnerable position in the face of the regime's repressive apparatus. "So, obviously, it's not about celebrating a military action for the sake of celebrating a military action; it's simply about recognizing that an unarmed and starving people cannot stand up to a dictatorship armed to the teeth," he noted, before citing the case of Zulmira Martínez as an example of the situation—a young woman he described as having been imprisoned for 10 years for calling for freedom on Facebook.

During the interview, Yapor also asked Pentón about plans for Cuba's transition and reconstruction, which, according to reports mentioned during the conversation, are reportedly being analyzed by Cuban-American business leaders. Pentón stated that for months he has been in talks with businesspeople in the exile community interested in participating in a potential reconstruction of the island. "The will is there, the desire is there," he said, before noting that Cuban-American businesspeople would be willing to contribute both financial resources and expertise.

You can watch the full interview by clicking on the video below.