Havana, June 6: Cuba has dismissed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statement claiming that Washington does not restrict oil supplies to the island. In response, Cuba highlighted the U.S. measures that impose penalties on countries supplying oil to Cuba.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez stated on the social media platform X that Rubio has repeatedly asserted that the U.S. government does not hinder oil supplies to Cuba.
Rodriguez pointed to Executive Order 14380, signed by former President Donald Trump on January 29, which allows for punitive tariffs on imports from countries that directly or indirectly supply oil to Cuba.
He noted that any nation engaging in oil trade with Cuba risks facing retaliatory actions in the U.S. market.
Rodriguez questioned, “Isn’t this a way to prevent oil from entering Cuba?” He characterized this action as a form of economic pressure against third countries.
He was responding to Rubio’s comments during a U.S. Senate committee hearing, where the Secretary defended the White House’s stance on Cuba’s energy crisis.
Cuba heavily relies on imported fuel to meet domestic demand. Official figures indicate that the island requires approximately eight fuel shipments monthly to function normally.
So far this year, Cuba has received only one crude oil shipment from the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, containing about 100,000 tons of oil.
Earlier on Wednesday, Cuba rejected accusations of terrorism made by Rubio in the Senate.
Rodriguez stated on X that including Cuba on the U.S. list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism is based on political criteria rather than evidence.
He described this designation as “so arbitrary and devoid of moral reasoning that the U.S. Secretary of State lacks arguments to justify this criminal act before Congress.”
Rodriguez emphasized that Rubio’s comments reveal Washington’s intent to maintain pressure on Cuba.
He stated, “Their mask has fallen off. Their political aim and sole objective—to strangle Cuba’s economy by any means, create a humanitarian crisis, and promote military intervention in Cuba—has become clear.”
The Cuban Foreign Minister also expressed concern that Congress allows “the lies of a government official to persist.”
Rubio made these remarks during a Senate hearing, where he defended the Trump administration’s decision to keep Cuba on the list of countries allegedly sponsoring terrorism.
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