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The Cuban ambassador to France, Otto Vaillant, stated that "the Cuban people are the ones who must decide their government", amid a new escalation of tensions between Havana and Washington following the measures announced by the administration of the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
In an interview given to the channel France 24, the diplomat defended the island's right to exist as an "independent and sovereign" nation and denounced what he termed an unprecedented intensification of U.S. policy against Cuba.
Vaillant specifically condemned the sanctions announced on January 29, when Trump reiterated that Cuba posed an "unusual and extraordinary" threat to the national security of the United States. Additionally, he warned about possible tariffs against countries that supply or sell oil to the island.
According to the ambassador, this new offensive is based on "lies" and constitutes a violation of International Law.
"How can one believe that a small country can be a threat to a superpower?" he questioned during the interview.
Vaillant recalled that Washington's attempts to suffocate Cuba economically are not new and date back more than six decades, with the aim —he stated— of overthrowing the revolutionary government.
However, he warned that since Trump's return to the White House in January of last year, the economic war against the island has reached "unprecedented" levels.
The diplomat insisted that Cubans must be able to decide their political and social system "without external pressures," and accused the United States of trying to impose its dictates through isolation and economic punishment.
He also noted that Trump's threats go beyond Cuba and pose a challenge to the international community.
"Trump threatens the entire world, and the world should respond to the disrespect for International Law," he stated.
Finally, Vaillant reiterated the Cuban government's willingness to engage in dialogue with Washington, although he accused the U.S. administration of acting solely from a position of imposition.
In his statements, he also expressed gratitude for the solidarity shown in France towards the Cuban people, whom he described as peaceful and victims of unjust suffering.
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