New Delhi, Feb. 2 -- Terming the United States' latest escalation of sanctions as "criminal," the Cuban Ambassador to India, Juan Carlos Marsan Aguilera, has asserted that Havana remains committed to cooperation rather than confrontation, despite what he described as Washington's attempts to "suffocate" the island nation.

The Ambassador's remarks follow a sharp spike in bilateral tensions after a US executive order was issued on January 29, 2026. The order declares a "national emergency" and threatens trade tariffs on third-party countries that supply oil to Cuba--a move the envoy characterised as a "back plan" to deprive the nation of essential resources and destabilise its quality of life.

Addressing the impact of the intensified bloc...