What conditions could lead Donald Trump to reconsider the sanctions imposed on Cuba?

The new decree signed by the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, leaves open the possibility of modifying the sanctions imposed on Cuba if the island's government takes "significant measures" to address the national emergency declared by Washington and aligns "sufficiently" with U.S. interests in security and foreign policy.

The clause appears in Section 3 of the executive order, titled “Authority to Modify,” where the official outlines the scenarios that could justify changes or adjustments to the adopted measures.

The text outlines three possible circumstances under which Trump could reconsider the order:

1. If new information, recommendations, or changes in circumstances arise that warrant an update to the decree.
2. If any foreign country takes retaliatory actions against the United States in response to the measures taken.
3. If the Government of Cuba or another affected country takes concrete steps to "address the national emergency" and demonstrates sufficient alignment with Washington on national security and foreign policy issues.

Although the wording does not establish deadlines or explicit commitments, the diplomatic language of the document suggests that the door to a revision of the sanctions is not completely closed, as long as the Cuban regime modifies its cooperation policies with countries deemed hostile by the United States, such as Russia, China, or Iran.

The executive order, issued on January 29 and effective from January 30, declares a national emergency by considering that the policies and actions of the Cuban government pose "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.

As part of this measure, Trump authorized the creation of a tariff system that will allow for additional taxes to be imposed on imports from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, either directly or indirectly.

Signed at the White House, the order is framed within the provisions of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the National Emergencies Act, and Title 3 of the United States Code.