Amid escalating U.S. sanctions targeting oil shipments to Cuba, political leaders and Catholic Church officials are voicing reactions, with Pope Leo XIV and Cuban bishops urging dialogue to prevent further suffering for the Cuban people.
According to the White House official government page, President Donald Trump signed an “Executive Order declaring a national emergency and establishing a process to impose tariffs on goods from countries that sell or otherwise provide oil to Cuba, protecting U.S. national security and foreign policy from the Cuban regime’s malign actions and policies.” This declaration followed the early-January ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a major Cuban ally.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said “[t]his new measure demonstrates the fascist, criminal and genocidal nature of a cabal that has hijacked the interests of the American people for purely personal gain.”
Pope Leo XIV, according to a Reuters article, stated that he was concerned about tensions between the two countries and called for “sincere and effective” dialogue to prevent suffering for the Cuban people.
According to OSVNews, on Jan. 31, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba stated, in a translated statement originally published on Iglesia Cubana, that the complete elimination of any possibility of oil entering the country raised serious concerns, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.
“The risk of social chaos and violence among the people of the same nation is real,” said the bishops. “No Cuban of good will would rejoice at this.”
The bishops advocated for good communication as that’s how people will understand each other, OSVNews further reported. The bishops further stated that in the presence of goodwill, there is a possibility to resolve issues in addition to truth and goodness.
The pope stated in his Angelus Address, “I echo the message of the Cuban bishops, inviting all responsible parties to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, in order to avoid violence and every action that could increase the suffering of the dear Cuban people. May the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre assist and protect all of the children of that beloved land!”