CANADA said on Monday it plans to provide assistance to Cuba聽while the island grapples with fuel shortages after Washington moved to choke off Cuba鈥檚 oil supplies.
Washington has escalated a pressure campaign against the Communist-run island and long-time US foe in recent weeks.
US President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration has moved to block all oil from reaching Cuba, including that from ally Venezuela, pushing up prices for food and transportation and prompting severe fuel shortages and hours of blackouts.
鈥淲e are preparing a plan to assist. We are not prepared at this point to provide any further details of an announcement,鈥 Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand said on Monday, without giving details on what such an assistance will include.
The UN has warned that if Cuba鈥檚 energy needs are not met, it could cause a humanitarian crisis. Canada said last week it was monitoring the situation in Cuba and was concerned about 鈥渢he increasing risk of a humanitarian crisis鈥 there.
Emboldened by the US military鈥檚 seizure of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a deadly raid in January, Mr. Trump has repeatedly talked of acting against Cuba and pressuring its leadership.
Washington and Ottawa have also had tensions under Mr. Trump over issues like trade tariffs, Mr. Trump鈥檚 rhetoric towards Greenland, Ottawa鈥檚 attempt to warm ties with Beijing and Prime Minister Mark Carney鈥檚 remarks that 鈥渕iddle powers鈥 should act together to avoid being victimized by US hegemony.
Mr. Trump has said 鈥淐uba will be failing pretty soon,鈥 adding that Venezuela, once the island鈥檚 top supplier, has not recently sent oil or money to Cuba.
The UN human rights office has said the US raid in which Mr. Maduro was seized was a violation of international law. Human rights experts cast Mr. Trump鈥檚 foreign policy and his focus on exploiting Venezuelan oil and squeezing Cuba as echoing an imperialist approach. 鈥 Reuters
