Cuba has sharply criticized fresh sanctions imposed by Donald Trump, calling them “collective punishment” that will deepen economic hardship across the island.

The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela landed in the South American country's capital on Thursday, marking the resumption of air travel after a seven-year hiatus. The suspension was imposed by the U.S. Homeland Security Department due to security concerns.

Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez broke her silence, putting an end to a recent wave of rumors accusing her of betraying former President Nicolás Maduro during the events that led to his removal from power.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Thursday said, "We don't want that [confrontation] but it is our duty to be ready to avoid it… and if it were unavoidable, to win it."

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has appointed former Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López as the new head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, despite the United States offering a $15 million reward for his capture.

The US State Department announced on Monday that it had officially reopened its embassy in Caracas for the first time since March 2019.

The International Criminal Court Office of the Prosecutor announced Thursday that the United States did not commit crimes against humanity with its sanctions against Venezuela.

President Donald Trump awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on Tuesday to Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, one of the pilots involved in the recent U.S. military raid in Venezuela, praising his bravery under enemy fire during his State of the Union address.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro should face legal accountability in his own country rather than in the United States. Lula made the remarks during an interview while visiting India for an artificial intelligence summit, stressing that Venezuela’s national sovereignty must take precedence over foreign intervention.

Cuban opposition leader José Daniel Ferrer, head of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), has said he would support a US operation in Cuba similar to the one that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro if Cuba’s communist leadership refuses to relinquish control.