Embassies and international companies in Cuba are reviewing contingency and evacuation plans amid constant pressure from the United States on the island.
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According to EFE, a dozen European and Latin American countries are updating lists of their nationals and evacuation plans, while some embassies and consulates are stockpiling supplies to withstand blackouts and fuel shortages, amid the Cuban economic crisis.
However, some embassies in Cuba indicated that they do not consider it necessary to update their evacuation aircraft, although they will remain alert and do not rule out activating future emergency protocols.
The United States has issued direct threats to Cuba after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s kidnapping on January 3, which forced the closure of Venezuelan oil supplies, Havana’s main energy source until then.
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Cuba is “about to fall” and even threatened to “go in and destroy the place.” Tensions between the countries date back to the 1959 Cuban Revolution and episodes such as the 1961′ Bay of Pigs invasion’ and the 1962 ‘Cuban Missile Crisis’.
The Canadian mine company Sherritt, through its interim CEO Peter Hancock, acknowledged “adverse operating conditions” at its Cubaniquel plant in the east of the island, which is affected by supply shortages and power outages.
Since Sherritt is working with Cuban authorities to stabilize operations and reassess the mine’s expansion, the company is monitoring geopolitical risks that could affect production, amid the intensified U.S. blockade and military pressure.
