Cuba Condemns Fresh Escalation of U.S. Economic Blockade

By Chinedu Echianu

The Cuban government has strongly condemned a new escalation of the United States’ economic blockade, accusing Washington of intensifying efforts to restrict fuel supplies to the island nation.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Revolutionary Government of Cuba describes as “hostile and illegal” an executive order signed by the U.S. President on January 29, 2026, which declares a national emergency and authorises the imposition of trade tariffs on imports from countries that supply oil to Cuba.

According to the Cuban government, the executive order is based on what it called “lies and defamatory accusations,” including the claim that Cuba poses an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security. Havana dismisses the assertion as absurd, arguing that even U.S. authorities are aware such claims lack credibility.

The statement accused Washington of using blackmail, threats and direct pressure on sovereign states to deepen economic sanctions that have been in place since the first administration of former President Donald Trump.

Cuba says the measures are aimed at economically suffocating the country and reflect a broader U.S. foreign policy strategy based on coercion and domination.

“The United States is attempting to dictate to sovereign nations who they can trade with and where they can export their products,” the government said, warning that such actions undermine international norms and peaceful coexistence.

Cuba further argues that the executive order violates international law as well as the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace.

It accuses the U.S. government of threatening regional and global stability through what it described as an aggressive and unilateral approach to foreign relations.

The statement notes that the new measures come after more than six decades of U.S. efforts to undermine Cuba’s political system, which Havana described as a legitimate revolutionary process rooted in sovereignty, social justice, and international solidarity.

Reiterating its position, the Cuban government said it remains open to dialogue with the United States, provided such engagement is based on mutual respect, sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, and adherence to international law.

Cuba also rejected claims that it poses any threat to the United States or its citizens, stressing that the country is peaceful, cooperative, and not under sanctions by the international community. It added that U.S. citizens who visit Cuba have historically been treated with respect and hospitality.

Despite the renewed sanctions pressure, the government insisted that the Cuban people would remain resolute. It warned that economic hardship imposed from abroad would not weaken national resolve or force a return to U.S. domination.

The statement concludes by calling on the international community to reject aggression and impunity, while affirming Cuba’s determination to confront the latest measures with “firmness and equanimity.”
“Homeland or Death, We Shall Overcome,” the statement concludes.