Cuba back on US list of terrorism-sponsoring nations under Trump
Wednesday, January 22nd 2025 – 10:48 UTC
The Republican head of state placed Cuba among those nations where he had already included it during his first term in office (2017-2021)
US President Donald Trump added Cuba once again to the list of nations sponsoring terrorism and announced tougher measures against Venezuela’s Bolivarian regime which stayed in power past Jan. 10 despite half the world not recognizing Nicolás Maduro as the legitimate winner of the July 28, 2024, elections.
Trump’s spree of signing executive orders included undoing his predecessor Joseph Biden’s removing Cuba from that nefarious category last week in exchange for the release of some 114 political prisoners in the Caribbean island who were placed under arrest after participating in the July 11, 2021, protests. Among those released were Lady in White Tania Echevarría Menéndez and opposition leader Félix Navarro, who still has a son in detention.
The Republican head of state placed Cuba among those nations where he had already included it during his first term in office (2017-2021). Biden’s counterinitiative sought to have 553 Cuban prisoners released as the result of an agreement reached between Havana and The Holy See. It also halted lawsuits in US courts involving Cuban property and eased financial sanctions.
Cuba’s return to that category will result in new bans on arms sales, tighter export controls, visa limitations, foreign aid restrictions, and renewed economic sanctions, in line with Trump’s hardline policies towards the island as opposed to former President Barack Obama’s rapprochement to the Castrist government.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a staunch supporter of Trump’s measures, insisted during his confirmation hearing before the Senate that he had no doubts about Cuba’s role in sponsoring terrorism.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Trump’s decision was a mockery and an act of arrogance to strengthen the cruel economic war against Cuba. The US trade embargo against Cuba has been in place since 1962.
In addition, Trump announced tougher measures against Maduro’s regime and raised doubts about future oil purchases from Caracas. He also pledged to seek Maduro’s departure from power. Venezuela was a great country 20 years ago and now it’s a disaster, Trump argued. We’re probably going to stop buying oil from Venezuela. We don’t need it, he stressed while insisting that the Bolivarian regime’s fall could be attained without a military intervention. Maduro will end up leaving in less time than we thought, he underlined.
Rubio also pointed out that oil licenses granted to companies such as Chevron, which operates in Venezuela, need to be reviewed because their activities generate millions of dollars for a government that we are trying to pressure.
Regarding the United States’ future relationship with Brazil, Trump hoped it would remain excellent but warned that they need us much more than we need them. We don’t need them.
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Publish date : 2025-01-21 18:48:00
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