Trump Declares National Emergency Regarding Cuba

President Donald Trump enacted an executive order on Thursday, declaring a national emergency over perceived threats from Cuba, identified as a state sponsor of terrorism.

In an effort to ramp up pressure on Cuba’s communist regime and mitigate its adverse impacts, the president set up a framework for imposing tariffs on nations that provide oil to Cuba. This oil is vital for the regime, which relies on it to keep its struggling infrastructure afloat.

The executive order emphasizes that the president is taking strong measures to hold the Cuban government accountable for its backing of hostile groups, terrorism, and regional instability, all of which threaten U.S. national security and foreign policy.

For over six decades, the Castro regime has established Cuba as a significant supporter of various terrorist organizations, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Colombia’s FARC. The U.S. officially designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) back in 1982, acknowledging its long history of aiding international terrorism. Other countries on the SST list include Iran, Syria, and North Korea.

After being removed from the SST list during Obama’s administration in 2015 as part of the “Cuban Thaw,” Cuba was relisted by Trump shortly before he left office in January 2021. Former President Biden had also indicated he would push for its removal again in January 2025, but Trump acted quickly to rescind that order during his second term.

Cuba’s ties with notorious anti-American regimes, like Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, are also a concern. For example, Venezuela has been a consistent supplier of oil to Cuba, providing essential support to the Castro regime in exchange for assistance in solidifying its own dictatorial hold on power, such as permitting Cuban military involvement in Venezuela and safeguarding Nicolás Maduro.

In his executive order, Trump outlined Cuba’s alliances with these regimes and addressed the regime’s record of human rights abuses, suffocating dissent, limited freedom of expression, and widespread corruption as factors that necessitate immediate action from the U.S.

The order grants the U.S. the authority to levy additional tariffs on countries that “directly or indirectly” send oil to Cuba. Trump noted that he may modify this directive if Cuba or its suppliers make significant efforts to resolve security concerns posed to the U.S.

The White House remarked that Trump has consistently challenged regimes threatening U.S. security and has taken steps against countries for their failure to hold adversaries liable.

After the U.S. seized control of Venezuela’s oil exports from Maduro, Cuba’s access to that vital resource was cut off. Recently, Trump has made it clear that U.S. foreign policy will increasingly focus on Cuba.

On January 11, Trump posted on Truth Social, asserting that “there is no more oil or money going to Cuba, no more!” He urged the Cuban government to negotiate before it is too late.

This week, Mexico’s government confirmed that its state oil company, Pemex, has canceled an oil shipment to Cuba scheduled to arrive by the end of January. While President Claudia Sheinbaum acknowledged the cancellation, she didn’t clarify whether this indicated a broader halt to oil shipments to Cuba. Since 2023, Mexico has stepped in as Cuba’s primary oil supplier after Venezuela’s supplies dwindled.

The White House pointed out that this isn’t Trump’s first firm stance against an opposing government. Recently, he has ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and pushed for the ouster of Maduro, making clear that he will hold dictators and state sponsors of terrorism accountable.

In response to the executive order, Miguel Diaz-Canel, the leader of the Cuban regime, condemned Trump’s decision through social media, accusing him of trying to cripple the Cuban economy with tariffs for “false pretexts and empty arguments.”

Diaz-Canel challenged U.S. officials on their previous claims regarding the lack of a blockade, questioning where the defenders of a mere “bilateral trade embargo” had gone.

He characterized Trump’s measures as indicative of a “fascist, criminal, and genocidal” faction that is exploiting American interests for personal gain.

The U.S. Embassy in Havana reiterated its commitment to ensuring the Western Hemisphere does not become a base for adversaries, echoing sentiments expressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.