Cuba condemns and denounces new escalation of U.S. economic blockade

The Cuban Revolutionary Government has issued a forceful condemnation of what it characterizes as a dangerous escalation in United States policy aimed at imposing a total fuel blockade against the island nation. This response comes following an executive order signed by the U.S. President on January 29, 2026, which declares a national emergency and authorizes trade tariffs against countries supplying petroleum products to Cuba.

The Cuban statement describes the executive order as containing “an extensive list of lies and defamatory accusations,” particularly rejecting the assertion that Cuba represents an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security. The government maintains this justification demonstrates “contempt for the truth, public opinion, and government ethics” in pursuing aggression against Cuba.

According to the Cuban analysis, this policy represents a consolidation of economic pressure measures initiated during the Trump administration, now extending to include “blackmail, threats, and direct coercion of third countries” to prevent fuel from reaching Cuban shores. The government characterizes this approach as embodying “a dangerous way of conducting U.S. foreign policy by force” that seeks to guarantee American “imperialist hegemony.”

The statement frames the executive order as a violation of international law and the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. It further asserts that after 67 years of failed attempts to undermine Cuba’s revolutionary process, the U.S. government now threatens regional security and stability.

Cuba reaffirms its historical willingness to engage in diplomatic dialogue based on principles of international law, sovereign equality, and mutual respect. The government emphasizes that Cuba poses no threat to U.S. national interests or citizen welfare, noting that American visitors have consistently been treated with “respect and hospitality.”

The declaration concludes with a commitment to confront this “new attack with firmness, equanimity, and the certainty that reason is absolutely on our side,” invoking the revolutionary slogan “Homeland or Death, We Shall Overcome!”

The statement positions this development as a critical test for the international community, challenging nations to determine whether they will accept such coercive economic measures or stand in solidarity against aggression and impunity.