By Francisco Acevedo

HAVANA TIMES — Donald Trump has shown that this time he means business and remains determined to cut off all supplies to Cuba. In response, the dictatorship has already had to adopt measures in all workplaces and schools caused by the fuel shortage.

For all her crowing, Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum halted oil shipments to Cuba when she woke up to Trump’s threat of tariff hikes (and she began sending basic supplies instead so as not to provoke Trump’s ire). For the moment, Miguel Diaz-Canel and his clique were left hanging by the paintbrush, as the popular saying goes.

Incidentally, our beloved president was up to his usual antics this week when he called a public appearance on national television to say nothing.

Yes, because regardless of the fake little “live” sign — proven false by the obvious transmission cuts and even the presenter’s watch — his words contributed nothing beyond empty phrases, the same things he’s said in previous months, when people were expecting a package of measures to alleviate the current situation.

Surrounded by a chorus of submissive “journalists” who were not going to ask him uncomfortable questions, the leader looked rattled, shifting from side to side at the podium even to answer things he already knew and had written in his notes.

Even so, he was incapable of saying anything substantive — for example, who is going to throw him a lifeline now. There’s plenty of verbal........

© Havana Times