HAVANA/WASHINGTON: The diplomatic war between Cuba and the United States has escalated into open confrontation on the high seas. On Sunday, a top Cuban official labeled the US seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker an act of “piracy” and “economic suffocation.”
The Incident According to reports, US naval forces, operating under the newly intensified “Operation Southern Spear,” intercepted a tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The vessel was reportedly carrying crude oil from Venezuela—Cuba’s primary energy supplier. Ambassador Carlos de Cespedes blasted the move, stating, “This is not sanctions enforcement; this is maritime terrorism intended to bring our people to their knees through darkness and hunger.”
The US Stance The White House has defended the seizure as a necessary step to dismantle “illicit criminal networks” funding the Venezuelan government. US officials claim the shipment violated international sanctions imposed on the Maduro regime. “We will not allow the Caribbean to become a highway for illicit oil trade,” a US State Department spokesperson noted.
Energy “Suffocation” For Cuba, this is existential. The island is already grappling with an acute energy crisis, facing daily blackouts lasting up to 12 hours. By cutting off the Venezuelan lifeline, experts warn the US is pushing Cuba toward a humanitarian collapse. The Cuban Foreign Ministry has vowed to raise the issue at the UN, calling the blockade a “criminal violation of international law.”
