Havana, April 25 (RHC)-- Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez has called on the international community to stop Washington in its renewed efforts to asphyxiate Cuba economically. The top Cuban diplomat was responding to new anti-Cuban measures announced by U.S. national security advisor John Bolton on April 17th, which were added to the already long list of measures adopted by the current U.S. administration of Donald Trump.
On April 17th Bolton announced that five more entities have now been added to the so-called list of restricted Cuban companies . There are further restrictions on travel by the U.S. citizens to Cuba, although Bolton did not announce the specific changes nor a timeline for implementation. The national security advisor also announced the U.S. government would reimpose a cap on the remittances that can be sent to Cuba at $1,000 per person per quarter.
In statements to Cuban and foreign press in Havana, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez recalled that the Monroe Doctrine, which security advisor John Bolton said is "alive and well," is associated with the use of force by the United States to impose its hegemony over the Latin American and Caribbean region. “Cuba condemns in the strongest terms this latest package of anti-Cuban measures announced by the U.S.”
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez pointed to a classified U.S. diplomatic document, indicating that Washington is instructing its diplomats around the world to spread lies regarding the ‘presumed’ presence of Cuban soldiers and intelligence agents in Venezuela.
“They are saying that the more than 20 thousand Cuban collaborators --health and education professionals offering their services in Venezuela-- are actually agents, who Washington claim, have even infiltrated Venezuela’s oil company PDVSA to secure the supply of Venezuelan oil to the Caribbean state.”
He pointed also to information published by Brazilian press, which refers to joint diplomatic efforts by the United States and Brazil to condemn Cuba’s support for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
¨All the announced anti-Cuba measures,¨ said Minister Bruno Rodríguez, ¨punish Cuban and American families, as well as people of goodwill on both sides of the Florida Straight.¨ He stressed that Cuban families should not be held hostage of Washington’s aggressive policies.
¨In the face of stepped up aggressions,"said Bruno Rodríguez, "the Cuban people reaffirm their determination to defend their independence, sovereignty and self-determination.¨ Bruno renewed, though, Cuba’s willingness to maintain cordial, mutually beneficial bilateral relations with the U.S. based on mutual respect.
He further said: ¨Cuba will maintain and further broaden its relations with Cuban nationals residing abroad, including those living in the United States. Despite U.S. aggression,¨ he added, ¨the Caribbean state will continue promoting joint business and foreign investment on the island.
¨U.S. aggression threatens regional and international peace and stability, and the proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace, as agreed by regional leaders back in 2014.¨
Analysts agree that since taking office, President Trump has taken a series of executive actions to make trade, travel, and diplomatic engagement with Cuba more difficult. The actions, they say, disadvantage U.S. businesses, harm Cuba’s economy, particularly the country’s growing private sector and these measures alienate U.S. allies around the world, as Washington’s extraterritorial legislation directly harm those countries’ interests.
