Cuban Government Responds to US Imposed Oil Cutoff
HAVANA TIMES – The Foreign Ministry gave the Cuban government’s official response today to “the New Escalation of the US Economic Blockade”.
Declaration of the Cuban Government
The Revolutionary Government strongly condemns in the most forceful terms the new escalation by the government of the United States against Cuba, in its attempt to impose a total blockade on fuel supplies to our country.
The executive order of the US President, announced on January 29, 2026, declares a supposed national emergency under which his government may impose trade tariffs on imports of products coming from countries that supply oil to Cuba.
To justify such an extreme action, the text of that order presents an extensive list of lies and defamatory accusations against Cuba. Among them stands out the absurd claim that Cuba constitutes an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security of the United States. The President and his government themselves are aware that no one—or very few—can believe such deceitful arguments, but they do not care. Such is their disregard for truth, public opinion, and governmental ethics when it comes to justifying their aggression against Cuba.
With this decision, the government of the United States, through blackmail, threats, and direct coercion of third countries, seeks to add further pressure to the economic suffocation measures that, since Trump’s first term, were put in place to prevent fuel from reaching our country. It consolidates a dangerous way of conducting US foreign policy through force and of pursuing its ambitions to guarantee imperial hegemony. As announced, that country assumes for itself the right to dictate to sovereign states which nations they may trade with and to whom they may export their national products.
The executive order of the President of the United States therefore constitutes a blatant violation of International Law and also undermines the Proclamation of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace. It confirms that the government of that country is the one acting against the security, stability, and peace of the region and the world.
The US government reaches this point after having failed for 67 years to defeat and destroy a genuine and legitimate political and revolutionary process, one grounded in full sovereignty, social justice, and the promotion of peace and solidarity with the rest of the world.
Cuba’s longstanding willingness to maintain a serious and responsible dialogue with the government of the United States is widely documented—based on International Law, sovereign equality, mutual respect, reciprocal benefit, non-interference in internal affairs, and full respect for the independence and sovereignty of states.
As the whole world knows—including the US government itself—Cuba poses no threat whatsoever to the United States, its national interests, or the well-being of that country’s citizens, who have always been treated with respect and hospitality when their government has allowed them to visit the island. Cuba does not threaten or attack any country. It is not under sanctions by the international community. It is a peaceful, cooperative, and supportive country, willing to help and contribute alongside other states.
It is also the country of a brave and combative people. Imperialism is mistaken if it believes that economic pressure and the deliberate infliction of suffering on millions of people will break their determination to defend national sovereignty and prevent Cuba from once again falling under US domination.
The international community now faces the unavoidable challenge of deciding whether a crime of this nature will mark what lies ahead, or whether reason, solidarity, and rejection of aggression, impunity, and abuse will prevail.
We will confront this new offensive with firmness, composure, and the certainty that reason is entirely on our side. The decision is one and only one: Homeland or Death, We Shall Overcome! Havana, January 30, 2026