The Venezuelan government strongly condemned the new US measures, which it described as "punitive," against its historic ally Cuba, following threats by the administration of former US President Donald Trump to impose severe sanctions on any country or entity involved in supplying Havana with oil shipments. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry asserted in an official statement that this move represents a dangerous escalation and a violation of international law, aimed at strangling the Cuban economy and punishing countries exercising their sovereign right to engage in legitimate trade relations.
Historical background of strained relations
These measures come within the context of a long-standing US policy of hostility toward Cuba, which began with a comprehensive economic and trade embargo in the 1960s following the Cuban Revolution. This policy was significantly tightened under the Trump administration, which sought to reverse the policy of openness initiated by former President Barack Obama. Washington considers the alliance between Venezuela and Cuba, along with Nicaragua, to be what it calls the “troika of tyranny” in Latin America, and seeks, through sanctions, to dismantle this axis, which it views as a threat to its interests in the region.
The importance of the Venezuelan-Cuban alliance
The strategic alliance between Caracas and Havana dates back to the era of the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Under agreements such as Petrocaribe, oil-rich Venezuela supplied Cuba with petroleum at preferential prices in exchange for Cuba sending thousands of doctors, teachers, and experts to assist with social programs in Venezuela. Despite Venezuela's crippling economic crisis, this support has continued as a symbol of ideological and political solidarity between the two countries in the face of what they perceive as "imperialist hegemony" by the United States.
Expected effects of sanctions
These sanctions are expected to exacerbate the humanitarian situation in both Cuba and Venezuela. In Cuba, fuel shortages are crippling vital sectors such as transportation, agriculture, and electricity generation, directly impacting the daily lives of citizens. For Venezuela, whose government under Nicolás Maduro is already facing intense US pressure and extensive economic sanctions, targeting its oil exports represents a further blow to its collapsing economy. Venezuela has expressed its “full solidarity with the brotherly Cuban people” and called on the international community to take action to address the serious humanitarian consequences of these “aggressions,” which violate human rights and international law.
