Spanish
Washington.- The president of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Thursday that "Cuba will not be able to survive", after ordering the imposition of tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island.
"It seems that it will not be able to survive. Cuba will not be able to survive," the president declared to the press during the presentation of the documentary of the American first lady, Melania Trump.
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The president was asked if he is trying to "drown" Cuba, to which he replied that this word is "very harsh", but assured that the Caribbean country is "a failed nation"."You have to feel bad for Cuba because they have treated people very badly. We have many Cuban-Americans who were treated very badly and would like to return", he declared.
Trump made these statements hours after signing an executive order to impose tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba, in an attempt to exacerbate the crisis on the island, which was already aggravated by the cut in the shipment of Venezuelan crude after the overthrow of Nicolás Maduro. "I consider that the situation with respect to Cuba constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the U.S., and I hereby declare a national emergency with respect to that threat," argued the president in the executive order. Trump has previously maintained that the Cuban government's days are numbered since the United States' attack on Venezuela on November 3, which resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who now face drug trafficking charges in New York. Washington believes that the end of Venezuelan crude oil shipments to the island will cause a change of regime in Cuba, a country affected by a serious economic and social crisis. Havana condemned the intervention in Caracas as an "act of terrorism", warned the United States that it will not tolerate intimidation or threats and stressed that there will be no possible understanding or negotiation under "coercion". However, it expressed its willingness to maintain a dialogue based on "equality and respect".
