The Cuban Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda, Sergio Martínez, has issued a strongly worded statement condemning the United States government's decision to impose new sanctions on Cuba's state oil company, describing the move as an escalation of what he characterised as an economic war against the Cuban people. According to Antigua.news, the statement was published in response to an announcement made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, June 11.
Rubio announced the addition of CUBAPETROLEO — commonly known as CUPET — to the list of sanctioned Cuban entities. CUPET is the Cuban state company responsible for importing oil and petroleum derivatives, as well as managing domestic oil and gas production. Ambassador Martínez noted that the company produces 100% of the gas used by Cuban households for daily cooking.
In his statement, as reported by Antigua.news, Ambassador Martínez argued that the timing of the sanctions was not coincidental. He pointed to Cuba's recent announcement that its scientists and oil industry workers had developed a new technology capable of refining the country's high-density, high-sulfur crude oil into lighter fuels and derivatives suitable for electricity generation. He also noted that CUPET had been signing new contracts with foreign companies that could potentially increase Cuba's domestic oil output.
The Ambassador quoted Secretary Rubio as having recently stated that "in the summer, Cubans will not be able to alleviate the heat and high temperatures; they will have no way to store their food or cook it" — a remark Martínez described as an open acknowledgment of the intended human impact of the sanctions policy.
Martínez further alleged that the U.S. government is pursuing a deliberate strategy of economic and social collapse in Cuba, which he claimed Washington intends to use to portray the island as a failed state and to justify potential military intervention under the guise of humanitarian action. The U.S. government has not responded to these characterisations.
In closing, the Ambassador called on governments and peoples around the world to publicly denounce what he described as genocidal economic policies targeting Cuba, and to reject what he termed threats of military force in pursuit of imperial interests.
