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A senior Cuban official visiting Washington has warned that the Trump administration’s escalating actions against Havana could be laying the groundwork for a dangerous military clash.
A senior Cuban official visiting Washington has warned that the Trump administration’s escalating actions against Havana could be laying the groundwork for a dangerous military clash.
What is happening?
During a visit to Washington Tuesday, a senior Cuban Official, Johana Tablada, deputy director for US affairs in Cuba’s foreign ministry, accused the US of ramping up tensions between the two countries.
Risk of Military Confrontation
Speaking to reporters at the Cuban Embassy, Tablada said that Havana was trying to cool tensions, but that the US appeared to further damage relations between the two Cold War-rivals.
Havana Seeks to Cool the Crisis
Tablada made it clear that Cuba does not want a confrontation.
“To push both countries into scenarios of confrontation and collision is not a good idea,” she said.
Trump’s Hardline Approach on Cuba
Since returning to office, President Donald Trump has taken a tough stance against Cuba, reinstating sanctions and restrictions previously eased under President Joe Biden.
His administration placed Cuba back on the US list of State Sponsors of Terrorism and clamped down on remittances and legal migration pathways.
US Says Cuba Unwilling to Engage
In response to Havana’s claims, a State Department spokesperson said there’s “no indication” that the Cuban government is open to “meaningful” dialogue, according to Reuters.
Instead, the US has called on Cuba to release American detainees, return fugitives, and free political prisoners.
Mike Hammer’s Role in the Escalation
US Chief of Mission Mike Hammer has become a lightning rod in recent tensions.
He has toured Cuba meeting with political dissidents, which the Cuban government says amounts to inciting unrest.
Officials in Havana claim Hammer’s activities violate international diplomatic norms.
Formal warning from Cuba
Cuba’s foreign ministry recently issued a formal verbal warning to Hammer, accusing him of encouraging citizens to commit crimes and destabilize the constitutional order.
Accusations of Undermining Cuba with US Funds
Tablada further alleged that Hammer has directed American humanitarian aid toward groups working to undermine the Cuban government.
A Diplomatic Relationship in Reverse
Just days before Trump returned to the White House in January, Biden’s outgoing administration had removed Cuba from the terrorism blacklist, easing years of sanctions.
But Trump quickly restored the sanctions and rolled back trade and travel allowances.
Echoes from the Cold War
During the Cold War, Cuba was at the center of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
It was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the US and the Soviet Union after the Soviets deployed nuclear missiles in Cuba as a match to the US deploying nuclear missiles in Italy and Turkey.