In a significant escalation of foreign policy measures, U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a new threat against nations supplying petroleum products to Cuba. The announcement came Thursday through an executive order authorized under a national emergency declaration, marking the latest development in Washington’s intensified campaign against the Communist-governed island.
The presidential directive did not specify particular tariff rates or identify specific countries that might face import duties. This development follows the U.S. military’s recent operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of ousted President Nicolas Maduro. Emboldened by this successful intervention, the Trump administration has increasingly vocalized its intentions to confront Cuban leadership.
President Trump asserted this week that ‘Cuba will be failing pretty soon,’ noting that Venezuela, historically Cuba’s primary oil supplier, has ceased both petroleum shipments and financial support to the island nation. The tariff threat represents a continuation of the administration’s use of economic measures as instruments of foreign policy during Trump’s second term.
Cuban leadership has previously dismissed Washington’s pressure campaign, with President Miguel Díaz-Canel stating earlier this month that the United States lacks moral authority to compel agreements with Cuba. The ongoing tension reflects deepening geopolitical divisions in the Western Hemisphere as the Trump administration expands its efforts to counter left-wing governments throughout the region.