Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister Discusses U.S. Embargo, Deportations, and Global Conflicts

U.S. Policy Towards Cuba

• 🎯 The U.S. has intensified restrictions on Cuba, reinstating its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and maintaining the decades-long economic embargo.
• ⚠️ Marco Rubio, as Secretary of State, has increased the influence of anti-Cuban politicians, pushing a narrow approach against Cuba that is not in the interest of most Americans.
• ✈️ Trump's administration has implemented a travel ban affecting Cuban nationals and has ordered hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela to self-deport or face arrest.

Targeting Cuba's Medical Program

• 🩺 Secretary of State Marco Rubio is targeting Cuba's medical program, accusing the Cuban government of forced labor and imposing visa restrictions on officials linked to the program.
• 💬 Cuba's Deputy Foreign Minister refutes these allegations, stating the program is similar to those run by U.S. and European organizations and that doctors are fairly compensated and treated.

Deportations and Migration

• 🤝 Cuba has bilateral migration agreements with the U.S. that include regular deportation flights, a practice that continues despite changes in humanitarian parole status.
• 💔 The U.S. policy shift is described as cruel, forcing Cubans who have established lives and jobs in the U.S. to return.

International Relations and Conflicts

• 🇺🇳 Cuba advocates for the rejection of unilateral coercive measures, with the UN General Assembly designating December 4th as the UN Day Against the Use of Unilateral Coercive Measures.
• 🇮🇷 Cuba strongly condemns Israel's actions against Iran and its genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
• 🇬🇶 Cuba demands the removal of the U.S. military enclave at Guantánamo Bay, citing its use for detaining migrants and its danger to regional peace.

Cuban Nationals in Foreign Conflicts

• ⚔️ Cuba has publicly stated that any Cuban citizen fighting as a soldier in the Ukraine war is breaking Cuban law, and the government does not encourage or participate in such activities.