Delcy Rodriguez, interim president of Venezuela Photo: Pedro MATTEY / AFP / Profimedia
Venezuela, a historical ally of Cuba, but whose president, Nicolas Maduro, was captured by the US army, expressed his “solidarity” with Cuba on Friday, criticizing the “punitive measures” and the executive order by which US President Donald Trump threatens countries that sell oil to Cuba with customs duties, reports AFP, taken by Agepres.
“Venezuela rejects the presidential decree issued by the US government”, which aims to “impose punitive measures on countries that decide to maintain legitimate trade relations with Cuba”, according to a statement issued by the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Venezuela expresses its solidarity with the Cuban people”, the Caracas authorities assure in the same text.
Venezuela, a country led by socialist-oriented governments since 1999, was one of Cuba's main oil suppliers. After the capture of President Maduro on January 3, Donald Trump placed the Venezuelan oil sector under American control.
Cuba, on the verge of energy strangulation; it still has two weeks' worth of oil left
He signed an executive order on Thursday that states the United States “may” impose tariffs, of an unspecified amount, on countries that sell oil to Cuba, citing a so-called “exceptional threat” that Cuba poses to American national security. The US president asked Cuba to conclude an agreement with the US “before it's too late”, without specifying what he wants to achieve through such an agreement.
