Trump Threatens Sanctions Over Oil Shipments to Cuba

Presidency of Cuba. Donald Trump is doing everything he can to try to suffocate Cuba, whose revolutionary victory to this day has not been assimilated by the United States. Now the American president has issued what he called an 'executive order', threatening harsh measures against countries that continue to supply oil to Cuba. I posed three questions to a Cuban friend, Abel Prieto, president of the Casa de las Américas, about the real situation the island is facing, especially in the face of the large amount of fake news spread by the major media controlled by the United States. Abel responded to me with a letter, which I reproduce extensively. 'It is a very cruel effort to suffocate us and force the long-promised 'regime change'. Therefore, we are working intensively on preparing our people to give battle on the networks without being manipulated.' Immediately, Abel recalls: 'The Cuban people have gone through very hard experiences throughout all these years: the Bay of Pigs invasion, the October Crisis, the biological war, the devastating hurricanes, the fall of socialism in Europe, the Torricelli and Helms-Burton laws, and the Covid-19 pandemic.' He also recounts the massive tributes held for the 32 Cubans killed in defense of the government of Venezuela against the operation to kidnap the president of that country. And he concludes by saying that, 'despite the enormous shortcomings and difficulties we face today, I am convinced that there will be no political crisis in Cuba, nor will there be one. They threaten to sanction any country that can sell us oil and thus paralyze the economy, production, services to the population, and promote a political crisis.' Next, he details the measures adopted by the Cuban government 'to give priority to the basic needs of the population, public health, education, and attention to the most vulnerable sectors.' 'On the other hand, work is being done to accelerate the investments that have been made to install solar parks and use renewable energy sources,' Abel relates. Last year, 'around 50 photovoltaic parks were installed in all provinces.' These parks are being installed in maternal homes, polyclinics, and nursing homes. Likewise, from an energy standpoint, productive centers associated with exports, electric irrigation systems, and tobacco cultivation are being protected, among others. 'Along with the attempt to suffocate us, psychological warfare operations multiplied daily through digitally funded media,' writes Abel.