Cuba Blasts “Dangerous” US Threats

Cuba's top officials blasted a growing litany of U.S. statements and threats of military action against the Caribbean island, calling them dangerous and an international crime alongside an ongoing U.S. oil blockade that has vastly restricted fuel shipments amid a devastating energy crisis.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez characterized the U.S. as "hinting at a military action" to "liberate" Cuba, saying it was hypocritical and cynical in a post on social media late on Tuesday, in which he cited decades of U.S. sanctions against the island's government as the root cause of its economic and social woes.

"The threat of a military attack and the aggression itself are international crimes," Rodriguez said.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters earlier on Tuesday that the status quo in Cuba was unacceptable, ⁠adding the U.S. would address it, though he did not provide a timeline.

Rubio's statements were accompanied on Tuesday by a post on social media showing the U.S. embassy's chief of mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, walking alongside Rubio and General Frank Donovan, of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees U.S. operations in the Caribbean region.

Another photo posted Tuesday by the U.S. military showed Rubio shaking hands with