Díaz-Canel Vows Cuba Will Not Surrender to US Threats

Díaz-Canel called the administration’s threats of military action “dangerous and unprecedented” and urged the international community and US public to oppose what he described as a criminal act serving a wealthy, influential group. “No aggressor, no matter how powerful, will find surrender in Cuba,” he said, adding that Cubans would defend the country’s sovereignty and independence.

Trump announced the sanctions order on Friday. It provides for blocking US assets belonging to foreign individuals and entities operating in Cuba’s energy, defense, financial services, metals, mining and security sectors, as well as those acting on behalf of the Cuban government. Drop Site News reported that the order also authorizes sanctions on foreign financial institutions conducting significant transactions with designated Cuban entities, potentially restricting their access to US correspondent banking. The outlet said the measures could further isolate Cuba financially, curb foreign investment and worsen access to medicine, food imports and basic goods.

At a campaign-style event in Florida on Friday, Trump said the US would take over Cuba “almost immediately.” He also suggested the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier could come offshore and “they’ll give up.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, criticized the administration’s Cuba policy in a floor speech earlier this week, calling it a failure spanning decades. He said avoiding war required reining in the president and learning from those bipartisan policies. David Adler, co-general coordinator of Progressive International, also faulted US opponents of the administration for not doing enough to challenge the blockade and the threats against Cuba. He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been given the “green light to annihilate a peaceful nation and its people,” and questioned what the “No Kings” slogan meant if one man could order the deaths of Cubans.