Key Facts
• Early on the 3rd, U.S. President Trump launched a military attack on Venezuela and detained its president.
• Trump hinted at involvement of neighboring Colombia and Mexico after the attack.
• When asked about a military strike on Cuba, Trump denied any plans, stating Cuba is “declining” and does not require intervention.
• Cuban Ambassador to Japan, Hisela García, responded, blaming the U.S. for Cuba’s severe economic hardships.
• García cited over 60 years of U.S. policies aimed at hunger, despair, and regime change in Cuba.
• She condemned intensified recent U.S. economic, commercial, and financial harassment as illegal under international law.
• Cuba and Venezuela share a close revolutionary alliance dating back to early 19th-century independence movements.
• Former Venezuelan President Chávez received cancer treatment twice in Havana, reflecting strong Cuba-Venezuela ties.
• García emphasized Cuba’s ongoing resistance and search for solutions amid economic difficulties.
• She warned that Trump and his anti-Cuba hardliners will be disappointed in their goals.
• García invoked José Martí’s call for Latin American unity against imperialist aggression.
Summary
U.S. President Donald Trump’s early January military attack on Venezuela and his dismissive remarks about Cuba’s future sparked a strong response from Cuba’s ambassador to Japan, Hisela García. While Trump suggested no military action against Cuba was needed due to its perceived decline, García firmly attributed Cuba’s economic crisis to decades of U.S. sanctions and hostile policies aimed at destabilization. She highlighted the illegal nature of these measures under international law and their severe impact on Cuba’s economy. The ambassador also underscored the historic and ongoing close relationship between Cuba and Venezuela, exemplified by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez’s cancer treatment in Havana. Despite hardships, Cuba remains determined to resist U.S. pressure and seek solutions, rejecting any notion of submission. García’s remarks included a call for Latin American solidarity against imperialist forces, echoing the words of Cuban independence hero José Martí. This exchange reflects deep tensions between the U.S. and Cuba amid broader regional instability following the Venezuela conflict.
