‘Homeland or death’: Cuban President Miguel Diaz hits back at US tariff threat on oil suppliers

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday strongly criticised the United States for its latest move to impose tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba, saying the decision is meant to choke the island’s economy.

In a series of posts on X, Diaz-Canel accused the Trump administration of using force as a tool of foreign policy and trying to decide which countries Cuba can trade with. “We condemn in the strongest terms the new escalation by the United States government against Cuba in its determination to impose an absolute blockade on fuel supplies to our country,” he said.


He added that Washington was claiming “the right to dictate to sovereign states which nations they may trade with”. Despite the pressure, Diaz-Canel said Cuba would respond “with firmness, equanimity, and confidence that reason is absolutely on our side”. He ended one post with “Homeland or Death! We shall overcome!”

The comments came after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order warning of fresh tariffs on countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba. The order allows the US to impose additional duties on imports from nations linked to such supplies.

Issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the order calls Cuba an “extraordinary threat” to US national security and accuses its government of supporting hostile states and groups.

Diaz-Canel said Trump was acting under a “mendacious and empty pretext” and was seeking to “strangle the Cuban economy” by targeting countries that trade oil with Havana. He earlier warned that the decision shows a dangerous and aggressive approach to US foreign policy.