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Cuban-American Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart praised President Donald Trump's decision on Thursday to declare a national emergency due to the threat posed by the Cuban regime to the security and foreign policy of the United States.
“Grateful to President Trump for another crucial step to strengthen the national security of the United States and help liberate the Western Hemisphere from this terrorist regime. This is America First leadership. The Monroe Doctrine. Donald Trump will be the liberator of the Western Hemisphere,” wrote Díaz-Balart on his X account.
The reaction from the Republican legislator came just minutes after the White House issued an executive order in which Trump declares that the policies and actions of the Government of Cuba constitute “an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States.
The document, signed on January 29, 2026, establishes a tariff system that will allow Washington to impose additional charges on goods coming from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, either directly or indirectly.
The measure also empowers the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of State to implement the sanctions and monitor the cooperation of the countries involved.
According to the order, the Cuban regime maintains ties with Russia, China, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah, and hosts intelligence infrastructure that threatens the United States.
Díaz-Balart, one of the leading advocates in Congress for a strong policy towards the Cuban regime, celebrated the decision as a decisive step within Trump's strategy to confront what he considers "hostile regimes" in the hemisphere.
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