AS the United States continues to claim control of Venezuela’s oil economy, limiting supplies to Cuba and pushing the country closer to a humanitarian crisis, outgoing chairman of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, yesterday urged Caribbean leaders to take collective action to help the Cuban people.

Addressing a room of Caribbean leaders during the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in St Kitts and Nevis, he said Jamaica supported constructive dialogue between the US and Cuba, and called for humanitarian relief for its people.

His call follows reports of the Cuban economy being thrust into freefall as the US continues to police Caribbean waters in the aftermath of the ousting of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, and a US blockade on sanctioned oil leaving the country.