China Voices Support for Cuba as Trump Cuts Venezuelan Oil
Beijing "firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security and opposes external interference," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated during a press briefing in the Chinese capital.
"We once again urge the US to stop blockade, sanctions and coercion against Cuba at once and act in a way conducive to regional peace and stability," Mao said.
Trump Announces End to Cuba-Venezuela Arrangement
Beijing's statement followed Trump's Sunday post on his social media platform Truth Social, where he announced the Caribbean nation had depended on substantial petroleum shipments and funds from Venezuela in exchange for security personnel protecting Venezuelan leadership—a deal he claims has now terminated.
"There will be no more oil or money going to Cuba — zero!" he wrote.
Trump asserted numerous Cuban security operatives in Venezuela perished during recent US military action, claiming Venezuela no longer requires defense against what he characterized as criminal organizations that had "held them hostage for many years."
He pressed Cuba to negotiate fresh terms, cautioning the nation should move "before it is too late."
On Jan. 7, shortly after the Venezuela operation during which the US captured President Nicholas Maduro, Trump identified Cuba among potential future targets of his administration, declaring the Caribbean state "is ready to fall."
Cuban President Rejects US Pressure, Asserts Sovereignty
Cuba's president attributed the country's severe economic distress to the US, dismissing criticism while affirming the island's complete independence despite decades of external pressure.
"Those who turn everything into a business, even human lives, have no moral authority to point the finger at Cuba," Miguel Diaz-Canel said on US social media company X, contending the island's economic hardship results from US' "extreme strangulation" policies enforced for more than six decades.
"Cuba is a free, independent, and sovereign nation. No one dictates what we do," he added.
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