SAEDNEWS: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is using “crude lies” to justify Washington’s continued pressure on Cuba, the island nation’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, has said following the latest round of American sanctions.
According to Saednews, The US Department of State announced new restrictions on Cuba’s state oil and gas company, CUPET, on Thursday. Washington has intensified its pressure campaign against the island nation in an effort to push for regime change, while US President Donald Trump described the situation as a “question of time,” according to RT.
Cuba, which has been under a US embargo since 1960, has also faced daily blackouts and severe fuel shortages in recent months after Venezuela—its main oil supplier—reduced crude shipments under pressure from Washington.
On Thursday, the State Department added CUPET to its sanctions list, claiming that the company’s “key assets” were “unlawfully expropriated from American owners years ago.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that the Cuban government had “weaponized” energy by allegedly hoarding supplies for the military while rationing fuel for the general population.
Cuban Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy rejected these claims, calling Rubio’s remarks “the most aggressive, uncouth, and rabid lies among Cuba’s enemies.” In a post on X, he said the US Secretary of State was “driven by ambitions of conquest.”
Rubio, whose family left Cuba before the revolution led by Fidel Castro, was accused by Cuban officials of acting out of “vengeful sentiments” tied to an elitist political circle.
Former Cuban ambassador to Argentina Pedro Pablo Prada also warned that the new US sanctions would inevitably impact “fuel, electricity generation, transportation, production, and daily life of millions of Cubans.” He said Washington has made Cuba’s energy sector the main target of its “political and economic offensive.”
Earlier, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned that US sanctions on Cuba had already caused severe shortages of essential medical supplies, contributing to child deaths. The UN described conditions for ordinary Cubans as “unacceptable,” noting reports that infant mortality on the island had doubled following fuel restrictions.
Russia, China, Mexico, and other countries have provided humanitarian aid to Cuba. Russia reportedly delivered around 700,000 barrels of crude oil in late March.
