Published: 10:24, October 9, 2026
Cuba: US has no authority to decide who can trade with Cuba
By Xinhua
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez is photographed at the Permanent Mission of Cuba on Sept 24, 2026, in New York. (PHOTO/AP)

HAVANA – Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Thursday that the United States has no authority to decide which countries or companies can trade with Cuba, invest on the island or provide aid to its people.

In a post on X, Rodriguez said Washington lacked the "moral" authority to determine what is legal under international law and free trade rules.

Those who regard US measures as legal are complicit in the collective punishment to which the United States is subjecting the Cuban people, he said.

Rodriguez said Washington had no right to restrict trade in fuel and other goods with Cuba. He also criticized what he described as US actions against other countries' vessels and resources.

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The United States has no right to impose a naval blockade or cut off energy supplies, stop or search ships on the high seas, or take action against people in international waters on the grounds that their vessels are behaving suspiciously, he said.

Rodriguez also rejected any attempt to seize other nations' resources or sovereign territory.

"Truth and reason are on Cuba's side," he said, adding that Washington's arguments did not justify such actions.