The Cuban regime struck again against the United States, blaming it for the massive exodus of citizens from the island, while also criticizing the recent immigration policies of Washington that aim to deport these same migrants.
In an interview on the official program Round Table, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, stated that U.S. policies have driven Cubans to emigrate and that now they face the threat of being expelled.
According to Fernández de Cossío, the United States' policy of "economic blockade," aimed at depressing the standard of living in Cuba, has motivated a portion of the population to seek better conditions elsewhere. He also pointed out that Washington has historically provided preferential treatment to Cuban migrants, which, he believes, has encouraged emigration.
“It is logical that the economic blockade policy, designed to depress the standard of living of Cubans in their home country, would lead some of those Cubans to find motivation to emigrate elsewhere,” said the senior official to the state journalist Arleen Rodríguez Derivet.
"If this is combined with the fact that the United States has historically had a policy of welcoming Cubans, offering them absolutely privileged treatment, it is very harsh that now it is that government that pushes them to emigrate, and then welcomes them, (...) now tells them that it will expel them," Fernández de Cossío added.
With the cynicism characteristic of the so-called "revolutionary diplomacy," the vice minister of MINREX once again wielded the regime's argument that attributes emigration to external factors, ignoring the internal causes that drive Cubans to leave their country.
Political repression, the lack of fundamental freedoms, widespread poverty, and the state's absolute control over the economy and daily life are decisive factors that drive citizens to seek a better future outside of Cuba. These internal conditions, more than external policies, are responsible for the massive exodus.
The hypocrisy of the regime becomes evident when, on one hand, it blames the United States for provoking Cuban emigration, and on the other, criticizes the deportation measures for Cuban migrants from U.S. territory.
Reiterated speech from the regime: "Victims" of the blockade and of the "cruel treatment" by the U.S.
In recent weeks, various voices from the Cuban regime have insisted on holding the United States responsible for the massive exodus of Cubans and have described the possible deportations planned by the Donald Trump administration as "unjust" and "cruel."
These statements are part of an official narrative that aims to portray emigrants as victims of U.S. policies, deliberately omitting the internal causes that drive them to leave the island.
The ruler himself Miguel Díaz-Canel recently stated that Cubans facing deportation from the U.S. “were victims of a deception” by that country, which he accused of having encouraged them to emigrate and now wanting to send them back to Cuba.
Days earlier, Fernández de Cossío commented on the possible increase in deportations, criticizing U.S. laws that provide Cubans with a more accessible path to citizenship compared to other nationalities, which, according to the official, acts as an additional incentive for emigration.
In another of his attacks, Díaz-Canel expressed public "indignation" at the position of the Secretary of State, the Cuban-American Marco Rubio, whom he accused of promoting policies that "threaten the well-being of Cubans in the United States." According to Díaz-Canel, "the U.S. government is solely responsible for the increase in Cuban migration".
A day earlier, he had also publicly rejected the deportations and asserted that his government is willing to welcome the returnees, despite the fact that they left, according to him, as a result of the "blockade".
In mid-February, the regime repeated the same script: blaming Washington for the increase in emigration due to alleged coercive measures. According to the deputy director of the U.S. Department at MINREX, Johana Ruth Tablada de la Torre, it is "an incoherent and inhumane policy" that has lasted for decades.
For his part, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla also criticized the United States, whom he accused of practicing “cruel cynicism” by attempting to deport individuals who, in his view, were previously welcomed with open arms.
He also lashed out at Cuban-American politicians, such as Rubio, accusing him of promoting measures that harm thousands of Cuban migrants and profiting from the political aggression against the island.
These statements are part of a repetitive discourse that seeks to divert attention from the true factors driving Cuban emigration: a deep economic crisis, political repression, chronic shortages of food, medicine, and basic services, a lack of freedoms, and the totalitarian control of the State over citizens' lives.
While the regime portrays itself as a defender of migrants' rights in the United States, it continues to limit the opportunities for a dignified life within the country, preventing its citizens from thriving without the need to flee.
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