During a keynote speech at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches on Friday, President Donald Trump hinted that the US Navy could target Cuba after operations in Iran are completed. He joked about the army’s “almost immediate capture” of the island.
The President signed a sweeping executive order on May 1, 2026, targeting critical pillars of the Cuban economy, including energy, defense, mining, and financial services.
This order also threatens foreign banks and companies doing business with Havana. The move follows the US operation to oust Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela in January 2023.
Trump accused Cuba of protecting Maduro’s alleged drug trafficking operations in exchange for oil supplies, which the US has shut down. The US-led oil embargo has caused severe fuel shortages in Cuba, paralyzing the healthcare sector and national infrastructure. The United Nations has issued several warnings that the island is on the brink of a major humanitarian disaster.
“We strongly reject the unilateral coercive measures recently adopted by the United States government. These actions once again demonstrate their intention to impose collective punishment on the Cuban people,” Parrilla wrote in a post on X.
“It is no coincidence that these measures were announced on May 1, the same day that millions of Cubans took to the streets to denounce the US blockade and energy blockade.”
Parilla also criticized the Trump administration for pursuing foreign interference under the guise of fighting injustice and protecting democracy while repressing its own people domestically.
While the US government is repressing its own people on the streets, it wants to punish our people, who are heroically resisting the onslaught of US imperialism,” he wrote.
“These measures are disproportionate in nature and violate the UN Charter. The United States has no authority to impose measures against Cuba or third countries or entities.”
Washington has urged the Cuban leadership to engage in negotiations for several months and has issued a stern warning that they must engage “before it is too late.”
President Miguel Diaz-Canel has repeatedly refused to negotiate, describing the US approach as “hostile terms”.
Havana says negotiations will take place only if they are based on mutual respect and on an equal footing, and in particular there is no threat to Cuba’s sovereignty or territorial integrity.
