By contrast the Mexican government<\/a> sent four Navy shiploads of food. President Claudia Sheinbaum has been outspoken<\/a>, supporting Cuba\u2019s political independence, and condemning U.S. policy. On April 18, she joined with leaders of Spain and Brazil<\/a> to condemn any kind of military intervention and to support international law, humanitarian aid and Cuba\u2019s sovereignty.\u00a0 This is the kind of middle-power initiative that Canada should support.\u00a0<\/p>\n One glimmer of hope: on April 24, in the context of negotiations toward a new free trade pact with the United States, Ms Sheinbaum and Mr. Carney<\/a> \u201cexchanged views on ongoing efforts to support the Cuban people, including through co-ordination with international partners.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same time, it\u2019s important to keep an eye on what U.S. leaders are saying and doing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Currently bogged down in Iran, Mr. Trump has nevertheless claimed that Cuba is next on his invasion list. On May 1, Mr. Trump issued a new executive order<\/a> to strengthen already harsh U.S. sanctions, targeting Cuba\u2019s energy, defence, metals, mining, financial services, and security sectors. A week later, those new sanctions appear to have driven one of Cuba\u2019s largest foreign investors from the island as Sherritt International<\/a>, a Canadian mining and power producer, suspended its operations in Cuba.<\/p>\n In January, Mr. Trump broke international law when he imposed a fuel blockade on the island. Media have documented the energy needs of Cuba, and the fact that\u2014apart from one Russian oil tanker\u2014there has not been any fuel delivered to the island in over three months.<\/p>\n The U.S. fuel blockade (condemned by United Nations human rights experts<\/a>) has caused enormous harm to Cuba. It seeks to bring about regime change by starving the Cuban people into submission.\u00a0 Mr. Trump\u2019s actions threaten the \u201csovereignty and territorial integrity\u201d of Cuba\u2014key concepts in the Davos speech<\/a> of Mr. Carney.\u00a0<\/p>\n The much-vaunted public health system is in disarray. U.S. sanctions drove a 148% rise in Cuba\u2019s infant mortality rate<\/a> since 2018. Some 96,000 Cubans (including 11,000 children) have had their surgery postponed, while 12,000 pregnant women are unable to have ultrasound.<\/p>\n \u201cHealth should be protected at all costs and never be at the mercy of geopolitics, energy blackouts and power outages,\u201d said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus<\/a>, director-general of the World Health Organization on March 25. Meanwhile, over 100 British MPs<\/a> signed a motion calling on the U.K. government to uphold international law and oppose increased U.S. sanctions against Cuba. And a group of 52 Democratic Party members<\/a> of the U.S. Congress called on Mr. Trump to end the blockade, saying that the \u201cmaximum pressure\u201d approach had failed and contributed to a grave humanitarian crisis in Cuba.<\/p>\n Canada and Cuba have important ties. In 1959, Progressive Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker maintained diplomatic relations with revolutionary Cuba. In 1962, Canada and Mexico were the only countries in the Western Hemisphere not to break relations with Cuba, despite pressure from Washington. In 1976, Pierre Trudeau was the first leader of a NATO country to travel to Cuba.\u00a0 Canadians are also the largest block of tourists to Cuba. Before COVID-19, just over a million of us headed to Cuba\u2019s beaches annually.<\/p>\n The need to respect \u201crules and values\u201d espoused by the Prime Minister is now being challenged by U.S. threats to \u201ctake\u201d the island, whether it is a \u201cfriendly takeover\u201d or a brutal regime change operation.\u00a0 As Mr. Trump recently noted, \u201cWhether I free it, take it\u2014I think I can do anything I want with it.\u201d<\/p>\n Surely Mr. Carney must feel offended by such crude threats against a developing country\u2014one that has long ties with Canada. At Davos he spoke about the \u201cpower of legitimacy, integrity and rules.\u201d It is time for Canada to show some backbone, providing material assistance to Cuba while lobbying Washington to cease threatening this small island.<\/p>\n Support rabble today!<\/p>\n We\u2019re so glad you stopped by! Thanks for consuming rabble content this year. <\/p>\n rabble.ca is 100% reader and donor funded, so as an avid reader of our content, we hope you will consider gifting rabble with a donation during our summer fundraiser today. <\/p>\n Whether it be a one-time donation or a small monthly contribution, your support is critical to keep rabble writers producing the work you\u2019ve come to rely on as a part of a healthy media diet. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Nick-Seebruch-1024x980.jpg\")
Nick Seebruch, editor<\/p>\n