Cuba has summoned the United States' charge d'affaires to denounce what it perceives as Washington's interference in its internal affairs. The move follows a statement by the US government on social media, urging Cuba to "respect the human rights" of demonstrators who protested power cuts in the country.
During the meeting, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio conveyed the country's strong rejection of what they termed as the US government's interventionist behavior and slanderous messages. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel also criticized US congressmen for allegedly encouraging the protesters, referring to them as "mediocre politicians" and "networked terrorists."
In response to Cuba's accusations, a US State Department spokesman dismissed claims of US involvement in the protests as "absurd." The strained relationship between the two countries dates back to the 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro, which led to the severance of diplomatic ties and the imposition of a US embargo against Cuba in 1962.
Despite the end of the Cold War, hostility between the US and Cuba persisted, with the US Congress remaining a staunch opponent of normalizing relations and lifting the embargo. Former President Donald Trump reinforced the embargo during his tenure, a policy continued by his successor, President Joe Biden.
