Khaberni - Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel accused US President Donald Trump on Friday of seeking to "strangle" the island's economy, the day after signing an executive order threatening to impose additional customs duties on countries that sell oil to Cuba.
Trump did not specify in his executive order the percentage of the tariffs or the targeted countries, leaving the decision to the Commerce Secretary.
Cuba, which has been under a U.S. embargo since 1962, until recently received most of its oil from Venezuela. However, since the ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump has announced control over the Venezuelan oil sector and pledged to stop oil shipments to Cuba.
The American president threatened in a social media post saying, "I strongly suggest that they make a deal, before it's too late."
The United States has not disclosed the nature of the deal it seeks with the communist government in Cuba.
On Friday, Diaz-Canel said on the platform X "Under a false and baseless pretext... President Trump intends to strangle the Cuban economy by imposing customs duties on countries that sell oil to Cuba by a sovereign decision."
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez responded on X Thursday evening, saying, "We denounce to the world this brutal aggressive act against Cuba and its people, who have been subject to the longest and harshest economic blockade imposed in history on an entire nation for over 65 years, now facing threats of being subjected to extremely severe living conditions."
Rodriguez condemned a "new escalation" against Cuba carrying a "long list of lies aimed at presenting Cuba as a threat, which it is not."
He continued, "The only threat to peace, security, and stability in the region, and the only harmful influence, is that which the United States government practices on nations and peoples of our American continent... (via) extortion and coercion."
The executive order published by the White House imposes additional duties on any foreign country "that sells or supplies oil to Cuba directly or indirectly."
The executive order is based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, considering the Cuban government an "extraordinary threat" to American national security.
The Supreme Court is considering appeals against other duties that were activated under that law.
- Venezuelan and Mexican condemnation -
With his declaration of a "national emergency" related to Cuba, Trump made statements similar to those he made against Venezuela, such as supporting states hostile to the United States.
The pressure comes as the communist island faces its worst economic crisis in decades, characterized by frequent power outages up to 20 hours a day and shortages of food and medicine.
Yet another Latin American country, Mexico, continues to supply Cuba with oil. Earlier this week, President Claudia Sheinbaum neither denied nor confirmed reports that she had stopped oil shipments to Havana but said that Mexico "will continue to show solidarity" with Cuba.
Venezuela condemned the potential U.S. actions against Cuba, with the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry describing the American executive order as "punitive measures against countries that decide to maintain legitimate trade relations with the Republic of Cuba."
Caracas expressed "its solidarity with the Cuban people," calling for "the international community to take collective action to address the humanitarian consequences resulting from attacks of this kind."
Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum warned that Washington's imposition of trade tariffs on countries that provide oil shipments to Cuba threatens a "widespread humanitarian crisis, directly affecting hospitals, food supplies, and other essential services for the Cuban people."
