Havana is urging Ottawa not to drop its public opposition to the decades-long U.S. embargo as Washington ramps up pressure on countries supporting Cuba.
asserted
Washington → urge → Cuba
“We are confident that Canada will stay with us, as they have done in the past,” Cuban Ambassador to Canada Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz told The Canadian Press.
asserted
Diaz → stay → Press
“The blockade and this intensification is, in practice, killing people.”
asserted
blockade → kill → people
The United Nations is set to vote next week on a motion Cuba has put forward nearly every year since 1992.
asserted
Cuba → set → 1992
It calls for the termination of “the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”
asserted
It → call → Cuba
Canada has voted in favour of this motion multiple times.
asserted
Canada → vote → motion
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has been trying to overthrow Cuba’s Communist government through a de facto oil blockade.
asserted
administration → try → blockade
Washington cut off Venezuelan shipments in January and has threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sell oil to the island nation.
asserted
that → cut → nation
Washington claims Cuba poses a national security threat to the United States.
uncertain
Cuba → claim → States
Malmierca said the Caribbean nation is being collectively punished by an American pressure campaign that is harming the health and education of Cubans.
asserted
that → say → Cubans
An economic crisis has gripped Cuba since 2020, triggering critical shortages and severe blackouts that peaked after January’s fuel blockade.
asserted
that → grip → blockade
Havana insists its economic struggles stem from six decades of American sanctions, but critics point to the inefficiency of its Communist regime.
asserted
critics → insist → regime
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International say Cuba’s government engages in arbitrary arrests, tortures political prisoners and limits media and political parties.
asserted
government → say → media
Cuba produces only 40 per cent of the fuel it needs.
asserted
it → produce → fuel
Shortages have led to frequent blackouts that have threatened health care systems and crippled the island’s economy.
asserted
that → lead → economy
Air Canada and other airlines cancelled flights to Cuba in February because of shortages of aviation fuel.
asserted
Canada → cancel → fuel
Ottawa has pledged to distribute $13 million in humanitarian aid for Cubans through international organizations — not the Cuban government.
asserted
Ottawa → pledge → organizations
Past Canadian development funding has gone to things like solar panels aimed at making the island less reliant on foreign fuel.
asserted
island → go → fuel
“The people are resisting because we are convinced that the most valuable thing we have is the independence, the sovereignty of Cuba.
asserted
we → resist → Cuba
And we are not going to surrender that,” Malmierca said.
asserted
Malmierca → go → that
“We would like to have a normal relationship with the U.S.
asserted
We → like → U.S.
Malmierca said countries that have supported Cuba have told Havana they’re being warned by Washington their access to American trade or aid could be curbed if they continue supporting UN motions to end the blockade.
uncertain
they → say → blockade
He said Cuba is “not naive” and knows Canada is facing its own economic pressure from the Trump administration.
asserted
Canada → say → administration
“This year is a particular moment because of all this aggressivity of the U.S. government against Cuba,” he said.
asserted
he → say → Cuba
“They are in a kind of offensive with other countries, trying to exercise influence for them to change their votes.
asserted
them → try → votes
We know they are using threats.”
asserted
they → know → threats
The Canadian Press asked the U.S. State Department for comment but didn’t receive a response.
asserted
Press → ask → response
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz this week urged countries to vote against the motion, dismissing it as a product of “70 years of propaganda” meant to distract from corruption in Havana.
asserted
Waltz → urge → Havana
He said Washington has been lobbying European countries to vote against the motion.
asserted
Washington → say → motion
“Do not let them abuse your vote for their oppression,” he said at a Monday event he hosted.
asserted
he → let → event
In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said it is still pondering how it will vote on the UN motion next week.
asserted
it → say → motion
“As with all UN resolutions, Canada’s voting position is being considered in advance of the vote,” wrote spokesperson Thida Ith.
asserted
Ith → consider → vote
“Canada continues to call for the Cuban government to implement needed reforms to respect the political and economic rights of the Cuban people, and to release all political prisoners.”
asserted
government → continue → prisoners
In July, Havana called for a UN debate on the American embargo in the context of the island’s fuel crisis.
asserted
Havana → call → crisis
Washington suggested it was a waste of resources to debate a motion that had already been debated nine months prior, and insisted that the decision to hold a debate be put to a recorded vote.
uncertain
decision → suggest → vote
The vote passed and a debate was held.
asserted
debate → pass → ?
Canada was among 30 countries that abstained from the motion on holding a debate.
asserted
that → abstain → debate
Civil society groups such as the Canadian Network on Cuba said they fear Ottawa may be pulling back from Cuba.
uncertain
Ottawa → say → Cuba
A document The Canadian Press obtained through a freedom-of-information request shows Ottawa had frank exchanges with Cuba about its liquidity crisis before Trump ramped up pressure on the Communist government.
asserted
Trump → obtain → government
The document — a briefing book prepared by Global Affairs for its deputy minister — shows the deputy minister met with three Canadian firms during a visit to Havana in February 2023 to discuss their Cuban clients’ unpaid bills.
asserted
minister → prepare → bills
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
