In recent days, a new and alarming phase in U.S. imperialist aggression toward Cuba has begun. President Donald Trump’s statements represent a qualitative leap in direct threats against the Cuban people, deepening the historic attacks and blockade against the island. After the U.S. attack on Venezuela and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and wife Cilia Flores and threats to invade Greenland and Iran, Trump has now set his sights on Cuba. On Thursday, the U.S. president stated that the island “will not be able to survive” without oil, and he has threatened countries that supply energy to the country with severe tariffs. This is an open escalation of economic and political pressure to further isolate Cuba and cut off its vital resources. This offensive, directed in large part by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the right-wing war hawk linked to the Cuban exile community, is supported by various figures from the Republican Party, particularly sectors of the gusano and anti-Castro lobby based in Miami. These sectors have intensified their openly belligerent rhetoric in recent weeks. For example, Florida Representative Carlos Gimenez threatened Mexico with economic sanctions, and suggested that regional agreements between the U.S. and its neighbors, such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), could be jeopardized if the country continues to send oil to Cuba.

Crosspost from https://news.abolish.capital/post/24299