Cuba says US lacks authority to restrict trade with island nation

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said Thursday that the US lacks the authority to decide which countries or companies can sell fuel, trade or invest in Cuba, arguing that Washington's measures also target the wider international community.

“The US government has no authority whatsoever to decide who can and cannot trade fuel or any other product with Cuba, invest in our country or help our people,” Rodriguez said on the US social media platform X.

Rodriguez said Washington lacks both the “practical and moral authority” to determine what is legal under international law and the rules of free trade.

He accused countries and companies that comply with US restrictions of becoming “accomplices” in what he described as the “collective punishment” of the Cuban people.

Rodriguez said Washington's measures are directed not only against Cuba but also against other members of the international community that maintain commercial or economic ties with the island.

The Cuban foreign minister also accused Washington of seeking to impose a naval blockade and an “energy siege” against the island.

He said the US has no right to stop or inspect vessels in international waters or take military action against ships based on what Washington considers suspicious activity.

Rodriguez further accused the US of seeking to “usurp” sovereign resources and territories belonging to other countries, without providing details.

Cuba has repeatedly criticized US sanctions and trade restrictions, which Havana refers to as a blockade, arguing that they have a broader impact on the Cuban economy and population.

Washington has maintained extensive economic restrictions on Cuba for decades and has imposed additional measures in recent years targeting Cuban state entities and other sectors of the economy.

The latest dispute comes as Cuba faces shortages of fuel and other essential goods, while Havana has increasingly focused its criticism on measures it says restrict the island's ability to obtain energy supplies from abroad.

Rodriguez concluded by saying Cuba is protected by international law and rejected the legitimacy of the US measures.