Reuters
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Canada announced Monday that it plans to provide aid to Cuba while the country faces a fuel shortage after the U.S. government tried to cut off oil supplies to Cuba.
The US government has in recent weeks escalated its pressure campaign against the communist-run island and America’s longtime adversary.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to block all oil flowing into Cuba, including from ally Venezuela, causing soaring prices for food and transportation, severe fuel shortages and hours-long power outages.
“We are preparing an assistance plan. I am not prepared to provide details of an announcement at this time,” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Monday, without elaborating on what such assistance would include.
The United Nations has warned that if Cuba’s energy needs are not met, it could trigger a humanitarian crisis. Canada said last week it was monitoring the situation in Cuba and was concerned about the “increasing risk of a humanitarian crisis” there.
Emboldened by the U.S. military’s capture of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a deadly raid in January, President Trump has repeatedly spoken of acting against Cuba and putting pressure on its leaders.
Washington and Ottawa have also had tensions under President Trump over issues such as trade tariffs, his comments on Greenland, Ottawa’s attempts to strengthen ties with China, and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarks that “middle powers” should work together to avoid falling victim to U.S. hegemony.
“Cuba will soon go bankrupt,” Trump said, adding that Venezuela, once the island’s largest supplier, no longer sends oil or money to Cuba.
The U.N. human rights office said the U.S. raid that detained Maduro violated international law. Human rights experts have criticized President Trump’s foreign policy and focus on exploiting Venezuelan oil and oppressing Cuba, saying it reflects an imperialist approach.
