Washington threatens to impose sanctions on countries that want to supply oil to the island, as it considers its communist government to be a ‘threat’
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Monday (16) that hethen have the “honor” of annexing Cuba. The declaration comes amid the war in Iran, which has entered its third week, and tensions with the island, which is experiencing an intense crisis of shortages faced by the country due to the oil blockade imposed by the United States.
“I sincerely believe that I will have the honor of taking control of Cuba, in some way,” he responded in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, after being asked about military action against the government in Havana. “I mean free her, or take her. I guess I can do whatever I want if you want me to tell the truth. It is a very weak nation at the moment”, he considered. “It would be a great honor”, he explained.
Washington threatens to apply sanctions to countries that wish to supply oil to the island, because he considers his communist government to be a “threat”.
Trump has already urged Cuba to “reach an agreement” or face the consequences, with threats intensified after the American operation in Venezuela to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, taken to the USA to be tried for narco-terrorism. “Cuba also wants to reach an agreement, and I think very soon we will reach an agreement or whatever is necessary,” the American president told reporters aboard Air Force One.
At the beginning of the month, the head of the White House said that Cuba “will fall very soon” amid the worsening energy crisis experienced in the country.
Cuba not dark
This Monday, a new blackout in Cuba left more than 10 million people without power. “There has been a total disconnection of the National Electrical System. We have started to implement restoration protocols”, reported the National Electrical Union (UNE) published in X about the blackout.
Two-thirds of Cuba, including the capital, Havana, were also left without electricity on March 4, due to a failure in the national grid, in a context of economic crisis worsened by the energy blockade also imposed by the United States on the island.
The Cuban electricity grid suffers regular supply cuts due to aging infrastructure and fuel shortages. Since the end of 2024, an island of 9.6 million inhabitants has experienced five widespread payments.
*With information from Estado Conteúdo and AFP
