Cuba to President Trump: US in no 'condition to lecture us' on human rights

In response to President Donald Trump's announcement that he is reversing the Obama administration's steps to thaw ties with Cuba, the Castro government has hit back strongly saying the Unites States is in no "condition to lecture us."

The statement by Havana asserted by Trump's Miami address to announce the rollback was "full of hostile rhetoric", adding that the announced policies will "revert" the progress achieved between the two countries in the past two years, reports CNN.

Under the President's executive order, the Trump administration will begin strictly enforcing the exemptions that allow travel between the US and Cuba and prohibit commerce with Cuban businesses owned by the military and intelligence services.

Trump also directed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to convene a task force on expanding Internet access on the island and reiterated the United States' opposition to efforts in the United Nations to lift the Cuban embargo until more is done to honor human rights.

During his speech, Trump had also slammed Cuba for human rights abuses, saying, "The Castro regime has shipped arms to North Korea and fueled chaos in Venezuela. While imprisoning innocents, it has harbored cop killers, hijackers and terrorists. It has supported human trafficking, forced labor and exploitation all around the globe."

Giving a strong rebuttal, the Cuban government stated that Trump's executive order betrays a double standard on human rights.

"We have deep concerns by the respect and the guaranties of the human rights in that country, where there is a large number of cases of murder, brutality and police abuse, particularly against the African Americans; the right to live is violated as a result of deaths by firearms," the statement read.
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