Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez made clear Monday that President Trump will not be able to bend Cuba to his will. At a press conference during a visit to Austria, Rodriguez decried Trump's speech Friday announcing the cancelation of Obama-era Cuba policies as a "'grotesque spectacle' straight out of the Cold War," Reuters reported.
Trump on Friday harangued Cuba for its human rights abuses as he outlined new policies tightening restrictions on American travel to Cuba and on business transactions between the nations. While Trump's policies may be aimed at weakening Cuban military power, Rodriguez warned the policies would more likely "create unity behind the communist leadership" and boost Cuban patriotism, The Associated Press reported. Rodriguez insisted Cuba would "never negotiate under pressure or under threat" and he rejected Trump's demands for Cuba to turn over the U.S. fugitives whom it has granted political asylum.
The Cuban government has also criticized Trump's policies, which it described as a "backward step" and a regression to "coercive methods from the past." In a statement Friday, the Cuban government suggested the U.S. is in no "condition to lecture us," pointing to the "large number of cases of murder" and "brutality and police abuse" in America.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Groypers: the alt-right group pulled into the foregroundThe Explainer The network is led by alt-right activist Nick Fuentes
-
10 concert tours to see this upcoming fallThe Week Recommends Concert tour season isn't over. Check out these headliners.
-
How to put student loan payments on pauseThe Explainer If you are starting to worry about missing payments, deferment and forbearance can help
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
