US Declares National Emergency Citing Security Threat From Cuba
Donald Trump declares a national emergency, calling Cuba an extraordinary threat to US security and foreign policy amid claims of hostile alliances.
US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency, citing what he described as a threat to national security posed by Cuba.
In an executive order released by the White House, Trump stated that the situation involving Cuba constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. On that basis, he formally introduced a nationwide state of emergency.
The order claims that the Cuban government is taking actions that, according to Washington, harm US interests and pose a direct threat to the country. Trump pointed to Havana’s cooperation with states and entities considered hostile by the United States, including Russia, China, and Iran, as well as transnational terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
The decision followed Trump’s repeated assertions that Cuba is close to collapse after the end of oil supplies from Venezuela. He has also stated that Venezuelan oil will no longer reach the island and warned that measures could be taken against other countries that continue to supply fuel to Cuba.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington would be interested in a change of power in Cuba, arguing that an end to autocratic rule would align with US interests.