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The tension between Washington and Havana has added a new chapter following the statement from the Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs of the United States Department of State, which referred to diplomat Johana Tablada and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz as "puppets of the Cuban dictatorship."
In a message posted on social media platform X, the U.S. State Department harshly criticized the recent statements made by both officials.
"Cuban regime officials now openly admit what we have always known: there is no 'blockade,'" the text states.
The tweet details that "a puppet of the dictatorship" admitted that Cuba "can buy all the chicken it wants from the United States," and that another boasted about turning the Island into a global logistics hub.
"The truth is undeniable: it is the regime that is holding the country back. It is time for true economic freedoms for the Cuban people, not for the companies run by security services," the message concludes.
The origin of the controversy
The criticisms from Washington were primarily directed at Johana Tablada, Deputy Director General for the United States at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba and recently appointed ambassador in Mexico.
In an interview granted to the state-backed podcast Alma Plus, Tablada acknowledged that, despite the U.S. sanctions, "Cuba can buy all the chicken it wants in the United States."
The diplomat tried to clarify the internal criticisms of the embargo, noting that it is often heard on the street that there is no blockade due to the food imports coming from the North American market.
His words reinforce the thesis of the State Department that the real obstacle to the economic development of the Island is the Cuban political system itself.
The official responded to the message on X, where she mocked the claim that the blockade does not exist. "Really? There is no blockade. Will the U.S. government finally listen to the international community about lifting it...?"
Marrero and the Logistical Ambition of Cuba
Washington's other target was Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, who recently participated remotely in the Euroasian Economic Intergovernmental Council.
During his speech, Marrero insisted that Cuba maintains the "firm decision" to become a regional logistics center for goods from the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), with the aim of distributing products to Latin America and the Caribbean.
The leader asserted that preliminary studies support mutual benefits in terms of costs and operational times, as well as the potential to enhance industrial capabilities on the island to transform raw materials into higher value-added goods.
Marrero even announced the creation of a bilateral logistics committee and the upcoming celebration in Havana of the fourth joint commission with the EEU, where a cooperation plan for the period 2025-2030 would be approved.
For the State Department, these statements are a demonstration of the official rhetoric that, instead of addressing the serious internal crisis, turns to external alliances and projects of economic dependency.
The economic background
The controversy arises in a context where agricultural and food exports from the United States to Cuba are showing sustained growth.
According to the latest report from the U.S.-Cuba Economic and Trade Council, sales reached $38.4 million in June 2025, representing a 10% increase compared to the same month in 2024.
Frozen chicken and other forms continue to be the most requested product on the island, with purchases exceeding 21 million dollars, confirming that Washington remains one of the main food suppliers for the country.
While the Cuban regime insists that the U.S. embargo is the main obstacle to its development, the American administration argues that it is the economic model of the Island, controlled by military and state enterprises, that limits real opportunities for the population.
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