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The President of the United States, Donald Trump, signed an executive order this Thursday declaring a national emergency, considering that the policies and actions of the Government of Cuba pose "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security and foreign policy of his country.
The order, issued from the White House and effective as of January 30, 2026, argues that the Cuban regime "aligns itself with numerous hostile countries, transnational terrorist groups, and malign actors who are adversarial to the United States, including Russia, China, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah."
According to the document, Cuba "harbors dangerous adversaries" and allows the establishment of "military capabilities and intelligence that directly threaten the national security" of the United States.
The text indicates that Cuba "maintains the largest Russian intelligence base outside that country" and that it "continues to build deep cooperation in defense and intelligence with the People's Republic of China."
It also accuses Havana of providing a safe environment for groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, allowing them to establish "economic, cultural, and security links" in the region.
Furthermore, the executive order denounces that the Cuban "communist regime" supports terrorism, destabilizes the region through migration and violence, and commits human rights violations against its opponents, restricting freedom of expression, worship, and the press.
“The United States has zero tolerance for the depredations of the Cuban communist regime,” the text states.
"We will act to protect foreign policy, national security, and the interests of the United States, while remaining committed to the aspirations of the Cuban people for a free and democratic society."
The order establishes a tariff system through which Washington will be able to impose additional levies on imports of products from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, either directly or indirectly.
Furthermore, it assigns the Secretary of Commerce the task of determining whether a country engages in such operations, and the Secretary of State, in consultation with other agencies, will decide whether additional tariffs will be applied and to what extent.
The document also empowers both secretaries to issue the norms, regulations, or guidelines necessary to implement the measures, and establishes that the president may modify the decree in case of changes in circumstances or reprisals from other governments.
The text also instructs the Department of State to monitor and regularly report to Congress on the declared emergency and the actions taken as a result, in accordance with current U.S. legislation.
The executive order, signed by Trump and officially published by the White House, is framed within the provisions of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the National Emergencies Act, and Title 3 of the United States Code.
The supplementary statement from the White House indicated that the measure is part of President Trump's efforts to "protect the security and foreign policy of the United States against the malign actions of the Cuban regime."
The document reaffirms that the administration views the Government of Cuba as an ally of hostile countries and groups such as Russia, China, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, accusing it of providing shelter to terrorist organizations and destabilizing the region.
The White House also reminded that this action is part of the policy of "Putting America First," and continues the measures implemented by Trump since his first term to toughen the policy towards Cuba.
In June 2025, the president signed a national security memorandum and imposed travel restrictions on Cuban citizens due to the country's role as a sponsor of terrorism and its lack of cooperation in immigration and judicial matters.
The increasing geopolitical tension in the Caribbean and the accelerated collapse of internal conditions in Cuba have raised alarms: several embassies and international companies are reportedly discreetly updating their evacuation protocols in response to the possibility of a larger emergency scenario on the island, according to the agency EFE.
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