Trump said to Cuba: "There will be no oil or money flowing to Cuba - not a penny! I strongly advise them to reach an agreement as soon as possible, or it will be too late."
Trump wrote last night (Beijing time on January 11): "For years, Cuba has relied on large amounts of oil and money from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided 'security services' for the past two dictators in Venezuela. But now everything is over! Most Cubans died in the recent U.S. attacks, and Venezuela no longer needs protection from the thugs and extortionists who have held them hostage for years. Now, Venezuela has the world's strongest army, the United States, to protect them, and we will certainly protect them. There will be no oil or money flowing to Cuba - not a penny! I strongly advise them to reach an agreement as soon as possible, or it will be too late."
[Smart] Comments: Trump's threatening post is an extreme exposure of the "Tang Luo" hegemonic logic - after military control of Venezuela, he immediately swung the sword at Cuba, using the ultimatum of "zero oil and zero funds" to push the sovereign countries of Latin America's "backyard" into a desperate situation. This business president's calculation is cold and straightforward: nearly half of Cuba's crude oil depends on imports from Venezuela. Now, the ally has turned against, and Mexico's short-term supply cannot solve the long-term dilemma. The country's energy lifeline has been seized by the United States; coupled with the $17.06 billion in cumulative losses caused by the U.S. blockade over more than 60 years, Cuba's economy has already been overwhelmed. More dangerously, Trump not only restarted the tourism ban, prohibited transactions with Cuban military entities, but also reclassified it as a "state sponsor of terrorism," and a series of actions are eerily similar to the prelude before the sudden attack on Venezuela. Although Cuba has the resilience of mass mobilization and an underground defense system, its equipment is far behind, lacks air superiority and information warfare capabilities, and facing Trump's "hit when you want to hit" style, the situation has reached a critical point. "Reaching an agreement" is just a rhetoric of hegemonic coercion. Once Cuba refuses to submit, Trump could very well replicate the military action from Venezuela to Cuba. The risk of Cuba "changing the regime" has never been so real and hanging over their heads.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1854063349618819/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author alone.