Lianys Torres Rivera, Cuba’s top diplomat in the US, has told Bloomberg that the Trump administration is unwilling to continue talks with the island nation and described the ramped-up US oil embargo, which has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis in the country, as a “war without bombs.”
“The channel for dialogue is at a complete standstill,” Torres Rivera told the outlet, adding that the two sides are unable to set a basic agenda.
Since the US attack on Venezuela to abduct President Nicolas Maduro, the US has cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and pressured Mexico to also end its energy exports to the island, causing severe fuel shortages and bringing Cuba’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse.
President Trump has been clear that he wants Cuba to be his next military intervention, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is leading the policy, has rejected the idea of a “peaceful agreement” with the Cuban government.
POLITICO reported last month that the CIA has ramped up its presence in Cuba, something the agency also did preceding the attack on Venezuela. The report said that the administration doesn’t believe it needs to end its war with Iran before taking military action against Cuba.
Despite the US hostility, Torres Rivera said that Havana sought good relations with Washington. “Cuba is not a threat to the United States,” she said. “Cuba wants a relationship of respect with the United States where we can talk about our shared priorities.”
Discussing the oil embargo, Torres Rivera said, “What country can function normally when they’ve only received one fuel shipment in 200 days? This is collective punishment. This is a war without bombs.”
Torres Rivera made similar comments in a post on X on August 21, where she also said the “current US oil siege increased the infant mortality rate per 1000 live births to more than double.”
