President Trump signed an executive order on Thursday, declaring a national emergency to address the “unusual and extraordinary threat” presented by Cuba’s government.
“The Government of Cuba has taken extraordinary actions that harm and threaten the United States. The regime aligns itself with — and provides support for — numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors adverse to the United States, including the Government of the Russian Federation (Russia), the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Government of Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah,” the order reads.
“For example, Cuba blatantly hosts dangerous adversaries of the United States, inviting them to base sophisticated military and intelligence capabilities in Cuba that directly threaten the national security of the United States.”
The order continues, “Further, contrary to the interests and foreign policy of the United States, the Cuban communist regime supports terrorism and destabilizes the region through migration and violence. The communist regime persecutes and tortures its political opponents; denies the Cuban people free speech and press; corruptly profits from their misery; and commits other human-rights violations.”
The order further establishes a tariff system, imposing tariffs on any country that provides oil to Cuba.
“Under this system, an additional ad valorem duty may be imposed on imports of goods that are products of a foreign country that directly or indirectly sells or otherwise provides any oil to Cuba,” it reads.
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Trump later told reporters at the Trump-Kennedy Center on Thursday evening that the “failing nation” will not survive.
WATCH:
Trump: The word choke off is awfully tough. Cuba is a failing nation, and you have to feel badly for Cuba. They’ve treated people very badly. We have a lot of Cuban Americans who really were treated very badly, and they’d probably like to go back. And no, I’m not trying to, but it looks like it’s something that’s just not going to be able to survive. I think Cuba will not be able to survive.
The Trump administration has leveled numerous threats against Cuba, and reports suggest that Cuba could be Trump’s next target for a regime change following the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has suggested that Cuba will face the same fate as Venezuela, saying the Cuban regime is “in a lot of trouble.”
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