ALWAGHT- Cuba cautions that US carrier presence in the Caribbean threatens regional stability, backs Colombia’s sovereignty.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel expressed strong support for Colombian President Gustavo Petro following the imposition of US sanctions, condemning Washington’s actions as “an expression of Yankee imperial arrogance.” Díaz-Canel reaffirmed Cuba’s solidarity with Petro and his family, emphasizing that Havana will not retreat or bow down in the face of US pressure, highlighting the region’s growing opposition to American coercive measures.
The tensions between Bogotá and Washington have escalated after former US President Donald Trump accused Petro of encouraging large-scale drug production. Petro rejected the claim, insisting that the real drug traffickers must be identified, and criticizing US interference in Colombian affairs. The US sanctions target Petro, his son Nicolás Petro, First Lady Verónica Alcocer, and Interior Minister Armando Benedetti, freezing any US-based assets and prohibiting Americans from engaging in transactions with them.
In parallel, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez condemned the deployment of a US aircraft carrier strike group in the Caribbean, describing its stated anti-narcotics mission as a “false pretext.” Rodríguez warned that the deployment threatens regional peace, particularly signaling potential military aggression against Venezuela, and reiterated Cuba’s commitment to defending regional sovereignty and opposing US domination.
Petro responded to the sanctions by accusing the US of politically targeting him over his disclosure of CIA funding of the Israeli Pegasus spyware program. He emphasized that he has no financial ties to the US and blamed Colombian businessmen and far-right elements for pressuring Washington to act against him. Analysts have noted that the sanctions could further strain diplomatic relations between Colombia and the United States, especially given Petro’s criticism of US drug policy and calls for regional independence in anti-narcotics efforts.
