A group of Democratic US senators have introduced a resolution to stop President Donald Trump from using the military against Cuba, as his administration escalated pressure on the island's government by indicting former president Raul Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian planes manned by anti-Castro pilots.
Democrats Tim Kaine of Virginia, Adam Schiff of California and Ruben Gallego of Arizona introduced a War Powers Resolution on Wednesday to block the use of the US armed forces against the island.
They cited the Republican president's repeated threats to send in the troops to change the government in Havana and reports that the US Southern Command has been ordered to draw up attack plans, even though Cuba does not pose a significant national security threat to the US.
"The US military is the best in the world, but our service members shouldn't be sent into harm's way when there’s no clear benefit to the United States," said Kaine, a leader of efforts in Congress to enforce the Constitution's provision that the legislature, not the president, has the power to declare war.
In a rare rebuke to Trump, the Republican-majority Senate voted on Tuesday to advance a resolution to end the Iran war unless the administration obtains Congress' authorization. It was the eighth time this year such a resolution was introduced in the Senate.
Although members of Congress, including some Republicans, are concerned about Trump's multiple deployments of US forces, it was not immediately clear how a Cuba war powers resolution would fare in a chamber where Trump's fellow Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.
Last month, the Senate voted by 51 to 47, almost entirely along party lines, to block a similar Cuba war powers resolution. At the time, Republicans argued that there were no active US hostilities against Cuba, so the resolution was unnecessary.
Rubio addresses Cubans
Trump has increased pressure on Cuba by imposing a fuel blockade that has triggered sustained power outages and dealt fresh blows to the island’s already struggling economy.
"The last thing that our country needs right now is a regime change war in Cuba based on imaginary threats to the homeland that would devastate the Cuban people and generate a man-made migration crisis," Kaine said in a statement.
Also on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered what he called a "new relationship" to the Cuban people, blaming the island's leadership for their "unimaginable hardships," Axios reported.
"President (Donald) Trump is offering a new path between the US and Cuba. But it must be directly with you, the Cuban people, not with GAESA," Rubio said in a Spanish-language video message addressed to the Cuban people, referring to business conglomerate established under former Cuban leader Castro.
This marks the first time Rubio — the son of Cuban immigrant parents — has spoken directly to the Cuban people in his role as secretary of state.
The Trump administration is offering "$100 million in food and medicine for you, the people," he said, though he insisted it must be distributed through the "Catholic Church or other trusted charitable groups. Not stolen by GAESA to sell in one of their stores."
