Trump denies that he sent the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier to the Caribbean to intimidate Cuba
The president assured that the naval deployment in Caribbean waters does not seek to threaten Havana and defended a strategy of “humanitarian aid.”
Donald Trump denied that the deployment of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Caribbean is aimed at intimidating the Cuban Government, amid growing pressure from Washington on Havana.
During an appearance in the Oval Office, Trump was asked if the arrival of the USS Nimitz attack group in Caribbean waters sought to send a message of strength to the Executive of Miguel Díaz-Canel. The president responded bluntly: “No, not at all.”
The Republican insisted that Cuba is going through a deep economic and social crisis and assured that his intention is to keep the path of dialogue open. "We are going to help them. I want to help them, I want to do it for humanitarian reasons," said Trump, who added that the Cuban exile in Florida "wants to return and help their country."
The statements come a day after the US Southern Command officially announced the deployment of the USS Nimitz and its strike group to the Caribbean. In a message published on social networks, the military organization described the aircraft carrier as “the maximum expression of readiness and presence, of unmatched range and lethality, and of strategic advantage.”
The military movement coincides with a hardening of Washington's policy towards Cuba since Trump's return to the White House in January. The US administration has intensified economic sanctions and the oil blockade against the island, measures that have aggravated fuel shortages and the Cuban energy crisis.
In addition, the naval deployment occurred a day after the US Attorney's Office announced charges against former Cuban President Raúl Castro for the downing of two small planes belonging to the Brothers to the Rescue organization in 1996, an incident in which four people died.
Although Trump ruled out an immediate military “escalation,” the dispatch of the Nimitz has generated regional unrest and speculation about a possible show of force similar to Washington's recent operations in Venezuela.
From Cuba, the Government has interpreted the deployment as a hostile signal. According to regional media, sectors close to the Cuban Executive consider that Washington is trying to justify a possible military aggression and increase psychological pressure on the island's leadership.