US attempts to bring Cuba under its control will continue to fail, while Havana will continue to defend its independence and sovereignty. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said this following the latest tightening of US sanctions against the island.
“Instead of listening to its own citizens, the US government is announcing new blockade measures against Cuba, stubbornly trying to strangle its economy and inflict maximum harm on our people,” Rodríguez wrote on the social network X.
According to him, the pressure will not achieve Washington’s political objective. “Attempts to force us to submit to their plans will continue to fail,” the Cuban foreign minister said.
New US measures against Cuba
The administration of Donald Trump announced new steps on November 5 to expand sanctions pressure. According to the Associated Press, the measures pave the way for sanctions against companies and entities in the electronics, manufacturing, maritime and technology sectors.
Eight legal entities and two individuals have been targeted. They include two China-based companies that the US side accuses of supplying weapons and surveillance and security equipment to the Cuban authorities.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba’s leadership was withholding energy, transport and technological resources while the population faced power outages, shortages and stagnation. Havana rejects the US accusations and describes the sanctions policy as an economic blockade.
The pressure intensified after Trump’s decision in January to threaten tariffs against countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba. On the island, this led to more frequent power outages, fuel shortages and additional difficulties for transport and essential services.
Brazilian lawmaker expects change in the US
Against this backdrop, Raimundo Otoni, a member of Brazil’s National Congress, told TASS that possible Democratic control of both chambers of the US Congress could limit the actions of the Trump administration.
“The House of Representatives and the Senate would certainly halt the actions of President Donald Trump’s administration, such as the imposition of tariffs,” Otoni said.He linked the possible change to the re-election of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, which he said had altered the global geopolitical environment. Otoni said that right-wing forces were exhausted and that more open political and economic agreements were possible if pressure to strengthen democratic norms was maintained.
US policy toward Cuba remains tied to a prolonged sanctions regime, while Havana insists on an end to the embargo and defends its right to determine its own economic and political course.
Sources: apnews.com, tass.com