Colombia's Petro Argues Lifting Cuba Embargo Would Trigger Political Change, Although 'Perhaps Not as Miami Cubans Want'

Colombian president Gustavo Petro said that ending the U.S. embargo on Cuba could trigger political changes on the island, while warning that those shifts might not align with expectations among Cuban exiles in the United States.

His remarks, posted on X, came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Havana and followed earlier exchanges with Cuban and U.S. officials.

"Lift the blockade and you will see political changes," Petro wrote, adding that such changes could be "perhaps not as the current system in Cuba wants, but perhaps not as some Miami Cubans want either." He attributed economic hardship on the island to what he described as a "criminal blockade," arguing that shortages and poverty stem from decades of U.S. policy rather than internal governance.

The post directly responded to statements by Donald Trump over the weekend, who said the United States could "take Cuba almost immediately" after concluding operations in Iran. Petro warned that any military intervention would "ignite political violence throughout Latin America" and undermine democratic stability in the region.

Petro's comments also followed a previous message he posted on Friday rejecting a potential U.S. military action against Cuba. "I do not agree with a military aggression against Cuba because that is an aggression against Latin America," Petro wrote at the time, reiterating that "the Caribbean is a zone of peace" and that Cubans alone should determine their country's future.

That position drew a response from Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel, who publicly thanked Petro and echoed his stance. "We share the conviction that an attack on Cuba is an attack on Latin America," Díaz-Canel wrote on X, aligning Havana's position with Bogotá's calls for regional sovereignty.

The exchange unfolded against a backdrop of increased pressure from Washington. Since January, the U.S. has expanded sanctions on Cuba and tightened restrictions on energy imports, measures that have exacerbated an ongoing economic crisis marked by prolonged power outages and supply shortages.

Petro's stance on Friday prompted criticism from Republican Congressman Carlos Giménez, who accused the Colombian president of aligning with leftist governments in the region and suggesting his remarks could affect bilateral relations. Giménez also claimed that "Petro is preparing to flee to Cuba after the electoral defeat the Colombian people will deliver in the upcoming elections."