Cuba: U.S. blockade is now crueler

Havana, Jun 17 (Prensa Latina) Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said that the blockade imposed on the island by the United States is crueler, after the intensification of that policy during the administration of Donald Trump (2017-2021).

On his official Twitter account, the president noted that five years ago the Republican “dusted off the rhetoric of the Cold War and intensified, with the unusual figure of 243 measures, the economic, commercial, financial and genocidal blockade against Cuba.”

“A blockade that they say does not exist, now when it is more cruel and fierce,” the head of State stressed.

On June 16, 2017, Trump arrived in the U.S. city of Miami to confirm that he would reverse the policy towards the Caribbean nation of his predecessor, Barack Obama (2009-2017), and reinforce measures with an impact on the Cuban people.

Among the provisions were limitations on travel by U.S. citizens, obstacles to foreign trade, exports and the sending of remittances, as well as the suspension of flights to Cuban airports, with the exception of Havana.

According to Caribbean authorities, the imposition of this policy constitutes an essential tool of the U.S. policy against Havana, in order to destroy the Revolution.

Last May, almost five years after Trump repealed the directive issued by the previous administration for the normalization of relations with Havana, the administration of Joe Biden announced the end of some of the Republican’s 243 measures.

The new provisions included the elimination of limits on remittances, the reauthorization of travel and the family reunification program, without implying a modification of the blockade, Cuban authorities insisted.