Four days later President Barack Obama signed an executive order declaring a “national emergency” to meet what he called an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States” caused by alleged human rights violations in Venezuela. Obama ordered the freezing of U.S. assets of seven Venezuelan military and police officials. Since December Obama has frozen the assets or denied visas to more than 60 Venezuelans.

“How is Venezuela a threat to the United States?” the Cuban government said in a statement later that day. “Without strategic arms and without using resources or officials to conspire against the U.S. constitutional order, the declaration is not credible in the least and reveals the real aims of those behind it.”