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The official presenter Marxlenin Pérez Valdés, wife of Fidel Castro's grandson, reacted this Thursday to the recent measures signed by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, which declare a national emergency by considering the Cuban government a threat to the security and foreign policy of his country.
In a post on Facebook, Valdés described the decision as “the latest farce against our country” and summarized it “in three points.”
“It claims that we are a threat to the national security of the U.S., and to justify this, it has chosen to dust off the ghost of communism,” he wrote, referring to the language of the White House statement, which accuses the Cuban regime of "continuing to spread its communist ideas, policies, and practices throughout the Western Hemisphere, threatening U.S. foreign policy."
The host made an ironic comment about the announcement, adding: “It's not that it's new, but it's a bit old-fashioned. Either they have an inferiority complex or we are very modest: they say they are in danger—national emergency and all because of us.”
He also referred to the possible economic impact of the measures: "Since 'we are a great threat' and they also 'want to help our people,' they are going to exponentially increase the economic, commercial, and financial blockade," he wrote, asserting that this policy "has already been attempted with Brazil, Mexico, India, China, Russia, Canada, and a long etcetera of countries around the world."
In his post, he also mentioned the effective date of the sanctions: "He says that the sanctions will take effect starting at midnight tomorrow, January 30, and that 'we will not be able to survive'."
Valdés concluded the text with an ideological charge and a critique of the American leader: “The visceral hatred of the emperor who despises us knows no bounds. Its limits are not ethical or moral, because he has neither ethics nor morals. His motivation is purely one of capitalist and fascist interests, they are essentially the same.” He ended with the slogan “Homeland or death! We will overcome!”, alongside the Cuban flag.
The statements come after the executive order signed by Donald Trump on January 29, in which he declares a national emergency and empowers the United States government to impose tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba. According to the document, the regime in Havana “aligns itself with hostile countries and groups, including Russia, China, Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah,” and “maintains the largest Russian intelligence base outside of that country.”
Pérez Valdés, a doctor of Philosophical Sciences and professor of Marxism at the University of Havana, is the host of the state program “Cuadrando la Caja” and the wife of Fidel Castro Smirnov, the grandson of the late dictator Fidel Castro Ruz and the son of his firstborn, Fidel Ángel Castro Díaz-Balart. Known for her open admiration for Miguel Díaz-Canel and Lis Cuesta, she has been involved in several controversies for publicly defending official statements regarding the food crisis and for speaking disparagingly about those who criticize the regime.
His new message follows the same rhetorical line of the Cuban government regarding Washington's decisions, attributing the causes of the economic collapse the country is experiencing to the United States.
The executive order signed by Trump is part of a package of measures aimed at cutting energy supplies to the island and applying economic pressure on the government of Miguel Díaz-Canel. In addition to declaring a national emergency, the decree allows for tariffs on products from countries that sell or supply oil to Cuba, a mechanism through which Washington seeks to reduce the influx of Venezuelan crude oil and limit the regime's sources of income.
According to the White House, the policy aims to "protect national security and the interests of the United States," while reaffirming the commitment to the "aspirations of the Cuban people for a free and democratic society."
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