Cuban authorities warned US President Donald Trump on Friday that the reversal of the US policy toward the Caribbean island nation would fail.
"New measures to tighten the blockade, which are doomed to fail, as it was the case in the past, will not weaken the revolution or break the spirit of the Cuban people after almost seven decades of successful opposition to aggression," the government said in a communique.
In a new clampdown on travel and trade to Cuba, Trump announced in a speech in Miami earlier on Friday his decision to roll back parts of a rapprochement deal with the Communist state that was agreed by his predecessor, Barack Obama.
Despite a step backwards, Havana said it was still open for a "respectful dialogue and cooperation" with Washington, including on the outstanding bilateral issues. It will not tolerate interference in its domestic affairs, Cuba added.
"Any strategy aimed at changing the political, economic and social system in Cuba, including through pressure and coercion, will be destined to fail. The people of Cuba will decide for themselves what changes Cuba needs to make to renew its economic and social models, as we did in 1959 and as is being done now," the government said.
Cuban authorities also hit back at the United States for criticizing its human rights record and accused the US government of illegal detention and torture of prisoners in Guantanamo. They said they were concerned about "a huge number of murders, atrocities and abuse of power by police, including against African-Americans."
SPUTNIK/MNA
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