Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Thursday 18 april 2019

Trump cracks down on Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela

dríguez later said on state Maduro called the move fall: in Havana, in Caracas,
television. the latest example of “im- and in Managua,” Bolton
On Venezuela, Bolton said perialist aggression.” In a said in South Florida, which
Washington was sanction- nationally broadcast TV is home to many thousands
ing the country’s Central appearance, he said any of exiles and immigrants
Bank, which the Trump ad- nation’s central bank is from the three countries.
ministration says has been “sacred” and deserves He said Obama administra-
instrumental in propping up respect. “I see imperial- tion policies had given the
the embattled government ism as crazy, desperate,” Cuban government “politi-
of President Nicolás Madu- Maduro said. Bolton also cal cover to expand its ma-
ro. The sanctions do not bar announced sanctions lign influence” across the
humanitarian aid or private against financial services region, including in Ven-
remittances and aim to en- provider Bancorp, which ezuela. Cuba has trained
sure reliability of debit and he claimed is a “slush fund” Venezuelan security forces
credit card transactions, for Nicaraguan President to repress civilians and sup-
which have become es- Daniel Ortega. “The Unit- port Maduro, Bolton said,
sential amid skyrocketing ed States looks forward to calling Maduro “quite sim-
inflation and a shortage of watching each corner of ply a Cuban puppet.”
National security adviser John Bolton gestures while discussing cash notes. this sordid triangle of terror Continued on Page 4
new administration policy during a speech, Wednesday, April
17, 2019, in Coral Gables, Fla., at the Bay of Pigs Veterans
Association on the 58th anniversary of the United States’ failed
1961 invasion of the island, an attempt to overthrow the Cuban
government.
Associated Press
Continued from Front with defiance. “Nobody
will snatch away from us,
Washington also moved to neither through seduction
restrict “non-family travel” nor force, ‘the Fatherland
after a broad loosening of that our parents won for us
so-called purposeful visits by standing up,’” President
under Obama led to soar- Miguel Díaz-Canel said via
ing numbers of American Twitter. “We Cubans will
trips for cultural and edu- not surrender.”
cational exchanges. De- Foreign Minister Bruno Ro-
tails on the restrictions were dríguez called it an attack
not immediately clear, but on international law, Cu-
tourism is a key lifeline of ban sovereignty and coun-
hard currency for Cuba. tries that would do business
Bolton called such visits with the island: “Aggressive
“veiled tourism.” escalation by (hashtag)US
Bolton spoke hours after against Cuba will fail. Like
Secretary of State Mike at Giron, we will be victo-
Pompeo announced a rious,” he tweeted, refer-
new policy allowing law- ring to a Bay of Pigs beach
suits against foreign firms where invaders landed.
operating on properties “We will always be willing
Cuba seized from Ameri- to have a dialogue based
cans after the 1959 revolu- on absolute respect, but
tion. The United States has if the U.S. government has
enforced a trade embargo chosen a confrontational
against Cuba since the path we will not hesitate
early 1960s. Cuban officials to defend the gains of the
met the announcements revolution at any cost,” Ro-