Trump's new target revealed: 'A major threat to the US'
Contrary to expectations of a routine agenda, the US administration, under the signature of President Donald Trump, has implemented new customs duty decisions targeting countries that supply oil to Cuba. Following the decree, diplomatic tensions between Cuba and the US have escalated once again.
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US President Donald Trump has taken a surprising step, raising diplomatic tensions in the Caribbean at a time when the world's attention is focused on developments in Iran. The Washington administration announced its decision regarding new customs duties on countries that supply oil to Cuba. The details of the customs duties and which countries are included in the scope have not yet been announced to the public.
President Trump stated that "it is Cuba's turn" following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by US forces. In a statement from Washington, it was noted that after the seizure of the Venezuelan leader, Cuba, which has long been trying to survive with oil support from Venezuela, poses a "threat to the US."
Cuban authorities, meanwhile, protested these new sanctions in harsh terms. The decision comes at a time when the island nation's energy needs have turned into an even more pronounced crisis with the cutoff of Venezuelan oil. Cuba had long been receiving approximately 35 thousand barrels of crude oil daily from Venezuela, but with the tankers being seized, there are serious disruptions in both fuel and electricity supply. The increase in power outages across the country is making daily life difficult for the Cuban people.
Following the removal of Venezuela from the equation, the US administration began to target the Cuban economy step by step. In the executive order he signed on Thursday, Trump stated, "The policies, practices, and actions of the Cuban government constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States." Washington also accused Cuba of hosting countries that are against US interests and emphasized that it is determined to increase pressure on oil transactions.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel emphasized that his country would not bow to the US, stating, "The Washington administration has no moral authority to impose any agreement on Cuba."
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez, underlining his country's rights, took a clear stance against the US with the words, "Our island nation has the absolute right to import oil from any exporter without bowing to or being interfered with by the United States' unilateral coercive measures."
The Trump administration, for its part, reiterated its call for Cuba to "reach an agreement before it is too late." However, the fact that the details of a possible agreement and the consequences Cuba might face are not yet clear increases the uncertainty.