Cuban president accuses US of genocide, seeking takeover

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivered a forceful denunciation of U.S. policy during a state commemoration of the Cuban Revolution's 73rd anniversary, characterizing American sanctions as a deliberate campaign of genocide aimed at subjugating the Cuban population. The president's remarks reflected escalating tensions between Havana and Washington, particularly following the Trump administration's imposition of an oil embargo on January 29 that has severely disrupted the island's energy supply and economy.

The embargo has triggered daily power outages exceeding 20 hours, forcing employers to curtail work schedules and halting industrial production. The crisis has compounded existing shortages of water, medicine, and other essential goods, exacerbating conditions already strained by previous sanctions and domestic economic reforms that fueled inflation. Diaz-Canel characterized these measures as economic strangulation designed to destabilize the government and facilitate foreign control of Cuban territory.

The deteriorating situation has prompted major international corporations to exit the Cuban market. Payment processors Visa and Mastercard, Spain's Melia hotel chain, and airlines Air Canada and Air France have all suspended operations in Cuba. The government has rejected recent accusations from a U.S. State Department report alleging that Cuba operates espionage networks targeting Washington and neighboring Latin American countries.

Tensions have intensified following Trump's public statements about potentially taking over Cuba, remarks made after the reported U.S. abduction of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. The U.S. also indicted former Cuban President Raúl Castro in May on murder charges related to the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based exiles. Cuban officials reported in June that diplomatic discussions between the two nations have largely ceased.