Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez described the measure as a “brutal act of aggression” and accused the United States of trying to block oil supplies to Cuba.
MADRID, Spain.- The Cuban regime reacted this Thursday to the decision of US President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency for the “policies, practices and actions of the Government of Cuba”, describing the measure as a “brutal act of aggression” and a new escalation of hostility against the Island.
In one official note released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX), Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla accused Washington of trying to completely block the supply of fuel to Cuba, by imposing tariffs on countries that sell oil to the regime, which – according to the statement – would have the objective of subjecting the Cuban people to “extreme living conditions.”
Rodríguez maintained that the White House’s decision is based on “lies” and a narrative that presents Cuba as a threat to the national security of the United States, when – according to the official version – it is Washington that acts as a destabilizing factor in the region.
The head of Cuban diplomacy also denounced that the United States resorts to “blackmail and coercion” to pressure third countries to join its sanctions policy, under threat of applying “arbitrary and abusive” trade measures.
The MINREX statement avoids any reference to the structural crisis of the Cuban energy system, marked by decades of state mismanagement, lack of investment, corruption and dependence on external allies, factors that have caused prolonged blackouts throughout the country and a sustained deterioration in the living conditions of the population.
Nor does it mention the impact of the regime’s own internal decisions on the current energy emergency, nor does it assume responsibility for the collapse of key infrastructure, while exclusively attributing the situation to the US embargo.
The reasons given by Trump
In the executive order signed on January 29, Trump argued that the policies, practices and actions of the Cuban regime constitute an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, which is why he declared a national emergency with respect to Cuba.
According to the document, the Cuban Government maintains strategic ties with actors considered hostile by Washington, including Russia, China and Iran, and has supported organizations classified as terrorists, in addition to systematically engaging in human rights violations, persecution of political opponents and repression of freedom of expression.
Trump warned that his administration will impose additional tariffs on goods imported from any country that, directly or indirectly, supplies oil to Cuba, as part of a mechanism aimed at limiting financing for the regime’s repressive apparatus.
The White House stressed that these measures seek to hold the Cuban Government responsible for its actions, prevent it from continuing to benefit from international energy trade and protect the national security interests of the United States, while holding Havana directly responsible for the economic and social deterioration that the Island is going through.
