The government of the United States under President Donald Trump is studying imposing new restrictions on Cuban authorities who travel to New York for United Nations activities, in yet another step to pressure the Havana government. The assessment comes as Cuba’s foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez, accused Washington of imposing a “collective punishment” on the Cuban population with the intensification of economic measures.
Although a sizable Cuban delegation was authorized to participate in the UN General Assembly’s week of high-level events, the State Department is now considering applying “rigid controls” on officials who intend to return next month for the annual UN vote on the American embargo against Cuba, which has been in place for decades. The information was confirmed by U.S. authorities and by an internal document obtained by the Associated Press; officials spoke on background because details are not yet finalized.
In an interview with the AP on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Rodríguez said that negotiations between Cuba and the U.S. had returned to an impasse and criticized the “total petroleum blockade” imposed by the U.S. in January, which, according to him, amounts to a naval blockade. The foreign minister stated that, at the moment, there are no scheduled meetings with American authorities, but that Cuba remains willing to keep channels of contact open. He said that previous discussions were “respectful,” yet he characterized Washington’s subsequent statements and decisions as “extremely aggressive.”
The Trump administration’s strategy seeks to force political changes in Cuba by cutting fuel supplies, which would have contributed to large-scale blackouts. Rodríguez stated that the electrical grid has collapsed at least six times since the start of the energy blockade, affecting basic activities such as cooking, water supply, and internet and telephone services, in addition to making it harder to purchase fuel for thermoelectric plants and parts for aging infrastructure.
The measures by the U.S. also include new economic penalties and an expansion of the enforcement of rules that prevent Americans visiting the island from doing business with state-owned or government-linked Cuban companies. Rodríguez said this package “hinders” processes that could lead to discussions about common interests.
Rodríguez and other government members plan to return to New York next month for the annual General Assembly vote which, historically, condemns the embargo by wide margins. Cuba already faces significant travel restrictions to the U.S. due to its designation by the United States as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” with movement limited to about a 40 km radius from the UN headquarters in Manhattan. Source: Associated Press.
*Content translated with the aid of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Editorial Team of Broadcast, the real-time news system of Grupo Estado.
