Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has firmly rejected Donald Trump's demands for Havana to "{make} a deal" with Washington, dismissing the former U.S. president's threats to cut off Cuba's vital oil and financial lifelines from Venezuela as an unacceptable attempt to "{suffocate}" the island's economy.
In a series of defiant social media posts, Díaz-Canel declared that "Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. Nobody dictates what we do," adding that "Cuba does not attack; it has been attacked by the U.S. for 66 years, and it does not threaten; it prepares, ready to defend the homeland to the last drop of blood."
A Desperate Bid to Bring Cuba to Heel
What this really means is that Trump is making a last-ditch effort to cripple Cuba's economy and force the Communist-ruled country to bend to U.S. demands, even as the Biden administration has signaled a willingness to ease some sanctions and re-engage with Havana. The former president's threats come in the wake of the U.S. stunning capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, which dealt a major blow to Cuba's economic lifeline.
For decades, Venezuela has provided Cuba with a steady supply of discounted oil, as well as billions in financial aid - a crucial economic lifeline for the island nation, which has been under a U.S. trade embargo for over half a century. But with Maduro now in U.S. custody and Venezuela's oil shipments to Cuba effectively cut off, Díaz-Canel's government is facing a severe economic crisis.
A Dangerous Game of Brinkmanship
The bigger picture here is that Trump's latest salvo against Cuba is part of a broader effort to reassert U.S. dominance over the Western Hemisphere, as evidenced by the administration's aggressive moves against Venezuela. By threatening to cut off Cuba's economic lifelines, the former president is essentially engaging in a game of brinkmanship, hoping to force Havana to capitulate and make concessions to Washington.
However, as Díaz-Canel's defiant response makes clear, Cuba has no intention of backing down. The island nation has weathered decades of U.S. hostility and economic pressure, and its leadership appears determined to continue defending the country's sovereignty and independence, even in the face of Trump's increasingly desperate attempts to "suffocate" its economy.