Russia sent important message by defying US oil blockade of Cuba – envoy

Washington’s restrictions on the Caribbean island are an economic war, Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera has told RT India

Russia has sent an important message to the world by sending a ship with oil to Cuba last month as the US blockades the island, Havana’s envoy to New Delhi has said.

Moscow shipped 100,000 tons of oil required for Cuba’s normal functioning after the US imposed restrictions, Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera told RT India in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

“After three months without oil, a Russian ship arrived in Cuba,” he said in the latest episode of India, Russia, and the World. “It was more than that, a message [to the world] that Russia would support Cuba at a critical moment.”

Russia was sending a broader message by backing Cuba “because the US was threatening any country supplying oil with tariffs or [an] attack on ships,” the ambassador said.

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Moscow proved that it is “possible not to follow rules imposed by the US,” Aguilera noted. “[The] day after [the] ship arrived, [US President Donald] Trump said I am not opposed to any country that would like to supply oil to Cuba,” he said, adding, “that was not true as the possibility of sanctions was always on the table.”

Russia, China, and India are important partners of Cuba, the envoy stated, citing Moscow’s huge presence in the energy and transportation sectors and China’s assistance to the nation’s energy transition.

“India and Cuba have a longstanding history. We are celebrating 66 years of bilateral ties,” Aguilera said.

Cuba supports India’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat because in Aguilera’s words, “The Global South needs a relevant position.”

The US blockade of Cuba is an economic war on the island nation, the Cuban ambassador said. Washington’s concept of peace means countries submitting to its interests, which is unacceptable, he said. “Cuba is an obstacle to US dominance,” Aguilera added.

“With this blockade, it is difficult to sustain the healthcare system because you don’t have electricity,” he said, pointing to the huge impact on all vital sectors, including food production. “So this has a massive impact on the entire economy.”

The first Trump administration imposed a raft of measures to strangle the Cuban economy, Aguilera said, adding that the present one had gone even further.

On Trump’s January 29 executive order declaring Cuba “as an extraordinary threat to the US,” Aguilera wondered how a nation of 10 million people could pose a threat to a much larger country.