Cuba’s top envoy to US calls Trump’s sanctions on Cuban leaders a ‘pretext’ for military action
Cuba's top envoy in Washington has sharply criticized the Trump administration's latest sanctions campaign, warning that measures targeting senior Cuban leaders could serve as a "pretext" for future military action against the island. The remarks come days after the United States imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel DÃaz-Canel, members of the Castro family, and other high-ranking officials.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Cuban Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera accused Washington of manufacturing threats to justify a tougher confrontation with Havana. She argued that escalating sanctions, economic pressure, and legal actions against Cuban officials resemble tactics previously used against other governments targeted by the United States.
The dispute comes amid one of the worst periods in U.S.-Cuba relations in years. President Trump has expanded sanctions on Cuba through executive action, while Washington says the measures are intended to pressure Cuba's communist leadership over repression, security concerns, and support for hostile actors. Cuba rejects those accusations and says the sanctions are worsening the country's economic crisis.