Basseterre (Saint Kitts and Nevis) (AFP) – The United States on Wednesday eased an oil embargo on Cuba, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the communist-run island must change “dramatically,” stating it had only itself to blame for its economic crisis. Rubio, a Cuban-American and lifelong critic of Havana’s government, expressed concerns that the island’s economic tumult could destabilize the entire region as he attended a Caribbean Community summit.
While at the talks on the tiny island nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Rubio staunchly defended the January 3 US attack that deposed Venezuela’s leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. Following that action, the United States quickly blocked Venezuela from exporting oil to Cuba, which had relied on its ally for nearly half of its oil needs. This blockade triggered fuel shortages and rolling blackouts on the island. The Treasury Department announced Wednesday that the United States would allow Venezuelan oil exports to Cuba’s private sector for both commercial and humanitarian use.
Rubio warned that the sanctions would be reinstated if the oil ended up going to the government or military, which dominate the communist nation’s economy. “But Cuba needs to change. It needs to change dramatically because it is the only chance that it has to improve the quality of life for its people,” Rubio told reporters. He described Cuba’s system as “in collapse” and emphasized the need for “dramatic reforms.” He added, “If they want to make those dramatic reforms that open the space for both economic and eventually political freedom for the people of Cuba, obviously the United States would love to see that would be helpful.”
Rubio characterized the crisis in Cuba as potentially worse than at any point since Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution but maintained that the authorities only had themselves to blame, stating, “They’re the ones that have made decisions.”
Warnings of further instability arose as Rubio spoke regarding an incident where Cuba announced it had killed four people on a speedboat registered in Florida. He noted that the United States was still studying the “unusual” incident and would respond, although he had little verified information.
Caribbean leaders warned that any further deterioration in Cuba would not only impact the region but also trigger migration, which is President Donald Trump’s top political concern. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness remarked, “Humanitarian suffering serves no one,” adding, “A prolonged crisis in Cuba will not remain confined to Cuba.” Canada, which has maintained warm relations with Havana while often breaking with its southern neighbor, announced Can$8 million ($5.8 million) in aid for Cuba, which has been experiencing rolling blackouts and acute fuel shortages.
The summit’s host, Saint Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Terrance Drew, who studied in Cuba to become a doctor, shared insights he had received from friends regarding food scarcity and garbage strewn in the streets. “A destabilized Cuba will destabilize all of us,” Drew warned.
Addressing the summit, Rubio staunchly defended the operation that seized Maduro, insisting that Venezuela has made “substantial” progress since then. “I will tell you this without any apology or without any apprehension: Venezuela is better off today than it was eight weeks ago,” Rubio asserted. He indicated that Venezuela had entered a new phase and emphasized the need for “fair, democratic elections,” although he did not provide a specific timetable.
The United States once championed Venezuela’s democratic opposition, but following Maduro’s removal, it has worked with interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s deputy. Trump has expressed satisfaction with Rodriguez, not only for her welcome to US oil companies but also threatened her with violence if she does not comply with his demands.
Rubio separately met at the summit with Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime, whose transitional council, supported by the US, had handed power to him this month after failing to address rampant gang violence or hold elections over nearly two years. Rubio is noted as the highest-ranking sitting US official ever to visit Saint Kitts and Nevis, a tiny former British colony that is reliant on beach tourism and was the birthplace of US founding father Alexander Hamilton.
© 2024 AFP
