Washington, DC — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said after private White House talks that U.S. President Donald Trump told him he has no plans to order a military invasion of Cuba. Lula made the comment at a press conference at the Brazilian Embassy following an about two-and-a-half-hour, closed-door meeting with Trump, according to a report in The Hill.
Lula said, via the translator, that Trump conveyed he had “no intention of invading Cuba,” a development the Brazilian leader called a “great sign.” Lula also stressed that Cuba has shown willingness to engage in dialogue and that Havana seeks a solution to end the decades-long economic blockade he said has hindered Cuba’s full integration since 1959.
The diplomatic exchange comes amid heightened U.S. pressure on the island in recent months. The article notes that after a bold January operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s president, the Trump administration moved to choke off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and stepped up efforts to deny fuel to the island’s government.
President Trump has reportedly tasked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio with negotiating with Cuban officials on economic issues and potential changes to the island’s communist leadership. At the same time, Trump indicated he wanted to conclude the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which began on February 28, before making major new policy shifts toward Cuba.
Despite Lula’s recounting of Trump’s assurance against an invasion, the U.S. has maintained and expanded economic measures. On the same day, Secretary Rubio announced new sanctions targeting GAESA, described by the administration as a Cuban military-controlled umbrella enterprise, and its executive vice president Ania Guillermina Lastres Morera. The measures also extended to MNSA, a joint venture involving Canadian miner Sherritt and the state-owned Compañía General de Níquel; Rubio said MNSA “exploited Cuba’s natural resources to benefit the regime at the expense of the Cuban people.”
Following the announcement, Sherritt confirmed it was suspending operations in the joint venture in response to the U.S. restrictions, The Hill reported.
This report is based on a syndicated feed (ANI) and coverage by The Hill; The Tribune republishes the content as received and assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.
