Cuba’s Leader Blasts US Sanctions on Oil Suppliers as Criminal and Unjust

Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel has sharply condemned Washington’s executive order targeting countries and companies that supply fuel to Cuba calling it immoral, illegal, and criminal.

Cuba Pushes Back Hard Against Washington’s Expanding Oil Sanctions

Cuba’s president has come out swinging against a new US executive order. The order targets any country or company that dares sell fuel to Cuba. Miguel Díaz-Canel described the move as a brazen extraterritorial escalation of America’s long-standing blockade against the island nation.

Díaz-Canel Calls It “Genocide”

Speaking through his official Telegram channel, Díaz-Canel did not mince words. “Immoral, illegal, and criminal is the executive order that pursues and threatens third parties wishing to sell fuel to Cuba,” he wrote. He went further labeling the collective punishment of the Cuban people an “act of genocide.” He demanded international organizations condemn it and hold its architects accountable.

The Cuban leader stressed that the latest US measures reach an unprecedented level. They target not only fuel suppliers but also companies wanting to invest in Cuba. Even those wishing to deliver basic goods food, medicines, and hygiene products now face threats of sanctions.

Washington Tightens the Screws

The United States moved on Monday to sanction Cuba’s Directorate of Intelligence. Washington also broadened restrictions against Cuba’s Interior Ministry and the island’s national police force. The US Treasury simultaneously expanded the sanctions grounds targeting both agencies.

Earlier in May, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order. It directs restrictions against any foreign financial institution carrying out transactions on behalf of Cuba-based individuals or companies already under US blocking sanctions.

Trump’s January Order Added More Pressure

Back in January, Trump signed another executive order. That order opened the door to tariffs on imports from countries supplying oil to Cuba. It also declared a national emergency citing what Washington called a Cuban threat to US national security. Cuba’s government flatly rejected that framing. Havana has consistently argued that America’s energy blockade aims to strangle Cuba’s economy and make life on the island unbearable for ordinary citizens.