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US Cuba Relations
The Cuban government has refused a request by the US Embassy in Havana to allow it to import diesel for its generators while the Trump administration continues to impose a fuel blockade on the island, according to two US officials familiar with the matter. The Cuban government turned down the request as the US State Department has been weighing a reduction in staffing at the embassy in Havana because of the lack of diesel. Such a move would likely lead to a US demand for a similar reduction in staffing at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, say the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The Cuban government rejection was first reported by The Washington Post. Cuba has struggled with dwindling oil since the US removed Venezuela's leader, halting critical petroleum shipments from the nation. President Donald Trump then threatened tariffs on any country selling or supplying Cuba with oil. The island is relying on its own natural gas, solar power a
The Cuban Communist Party has shown an astonishing resilience over six decades in power. Whether it's the United States trade embargo to counter Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, or the widespread starvation of the "special period" that followed the breakup of its Cold War patron, the Soviet Union, both US hostilities and calamities of its own making have proven no match for the country's leadership. But perhaps none of those crises pose as grave a threat as the one triggered by an all-but-declared naval siege by the Trump administration as it seeks to force regime change in the wake of its successful ousting of Cuba's longtime ally Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Even as he fights a war with Iran, President Donald Trump this week said he believes he'll have "the honor of taking Cuba" soon. While it wasn't clear exactly what he meant, the US is looking for President Miguel Diaz-Canel to leave power as part of ongoing talks with Havana that could avert some kind of US military ...
President Donald Trump on Tuesday pledged imminent action against Cuba's socialist government as his moves against the island bring the U.S.' longtime opponent deeper into crisis. A day after Trump's sanctions on Venezuela, including a stop to vital oil exports to Cuba, contributed to Cuba's latest nationwide blackout, Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both said that the administration sees the island nation as the next country where the U.S. can expand its influence. "Cuba right now is in very bad shape," Trump said. "And we'll be doing something with Cuba very soon," he added. Until recently, Trump's comments on change in Cuba might have been considered remarkable. But they come after his administration's military raid that captured then-President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela and the launch of U.S. military strikes against Iran. The Trump administration is looking for President Miguel Diaz-Canel to leave as the U.S. continues negotiating with the Cuban government, accordin
Canada announced Monday that it is working on an aid package for Cuba as it faces blackouts and severe fuel shortages worsened by a US oil embargo. Foreign Minister Anita Anand declined to give details beyond that. "We are preparing a plan to assist. We are not prepared at this point to provide any details of the announcement," Anand said. Cuba is facing an increasingly dire energy crisis that has heightened in recent weeks after oil shipments from Venezuela, its main oil supplier, were halted when the US attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its leader. Mexico, another major supplier, then also suspended oil shipments under US pressure. Air Canada and other airlines have cancelled flights to the Caribbean island because of a shortage of aviation fuel on the island. Canadian tourism is vital to Cuba's economy. Global Affairs Canada, a governmental office, has said Canada is Cuba's second-largest source of direct investment to the island, particularly in
The US government on Thursday announced an additional USD 6 million in aid for Cuba as the island's crisis deepens and tensions escalate between the two countries, with Cuba's president accusing the US of an "energy blockade." The aid is largely meant for those living in Cuba's eastern region, which Hurricane Melissa slammed into late last year. The supplies include rice, beans, pasta, cans of tuna and solar lamps that will be delivered by the Catholic Church and Caritas, said US Department of State Senior Official Jeremy Lewin. He warned that officials with the US embassy in Cuba will be out in the field "making sure that the regime does not take the assistance, divert it, try to politicise it." The US previously sent USD 3 million in disaster relief to Cuban people affected by Melissa. Lewin rejected that a halt in oil shipments from Venezuela -- after the US attacked the South American country and arrested its then leader -- is responsible for the humanitarian situation in Cuba.
A fleet of Russian warships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, left Havana's port on Monday after a five-day visit to Cuba following planned military drills in the Atlantic Ocean. The exercise has been seen by some as a show of strength by Moscow against the backdrop of tensions as US and other Western nations support Kyiv in Russia's war on Ukraine. The submarine, a frigate, an oil tanker and a rescue tug slowly departed from the port on Monday morning. It's unclear what the fleet's next destination is or where it will dock next in the Caribbean, although US officials said days ago that the vessels could possibly also stop in Venezuela. Officials with the Biden administration said last week that they were monitoring the vessels and confirmed that they did not pose a threat to the region or indicate a transfer of missiles. Still, the United States docked a submarine, the USS Helena, at its Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. The American naval base, located in the southeastern
Four Russian ships, including a nuclear-powered submarine, will arrive in Havana next week, Cuban officials said Thursday, citing historically friendly relations between both nations and as tensions escalate over Western military support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. Cuba's foreign ministry said in a news release that the ships will be in Havana between June 12 and June 17, noting that none of them will carry any nuclear weapons and assuring their presence does not represent a threat to the region. The announcement came a day after U.S. officials said that Washington had been tracking Russian warships and aircraft that were expected to arrive in the Caribbean for a military exercise. They said the exercise would be part of a broader Russian response to the U.S. support for Ukraine. The officials said that the Russian military presence was notable but not concerning. However, it's taking place as Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Moscow could take asymmetrical
Cuba's deputy foreign minister accused the Biden administration of acting immorally, illegitimately and unfairly by keeping Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, claiming it has been a victim of state-sponsored terrorism by the United States for more than 60 years. Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said in an interview with The Associated Press that maintaining Cuba on the State Department blacklist with North Korea, Iran and Syria is an easy way to punish Cuba with the overall aim of trying to make Cuba what it is not to make Cuba a failed state. The U.S. unfortunately pays no price for doing something that is illegitimate, unsustainable and immoral, he said. And even though, speaking with government officials, they find no reason why Cuba should be in the list, they claim that it is politically difficult for them. The United States imposed an economic embargo on Cuba in 1960 following the revolution led by Fidel Castro and the nationalisation of properties belonging to U.S.