Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has forcefully condemned the latest round of US sanctions, calling them "illegal and abusive." The executive order, signed by President Donald Trump on Friday, targets individuals in Cuba's energy, defense, financial, and security sectors, as well as those accused of human rights abuses or corruption.
The sanctions come as Cuban protesters marched near the US Embassy in Havana on International Workers Day, denouncing the American oil blockade that has triggered widespread blackouts and fuel shortages. Trump has escalated pressure on the island nation, vowing to change its communist leadership.
In a fiery speech in Florida, Trump declared the US would "take over" Cuba "almost immediately," suggesting that an aircraft carrier would anchor off the coast and demand surrender. Rodriguez responded on X, stating the "unilateral coercive measures" violate the UN Charter and amount to "collective punishment against the Cuban people." He shared videos of street demonstrations, asserting, "Our people do not cower."
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who had been in talks with the US, criticized the sanctions as "intimidating and arrogant behavior by the world's greatest military power." The oil blockade has caused severe fuel shortages and blackouts, affecting hospitals, transport, and schools. Only one Russian oil tanker has reached Cuba since the blockade began.
Trump has also threatened tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba. The US embargo, in place since 1960, has long strained relations between the two nations.