The United States Treasury Department on Thursday included Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, and other individuals and institutions, on its sanctions list, within the framework of the Trump Administration’s pressure on Cuban authorities and the blockade of the Caribbean country.
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The other individuals sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) are the first lady and second wife of Díaz-Canel, Lis Cuesta Pedraza; her son and stepson of the Cuban president, Manuel Anido Cuesta, and the only son of former head of state Raúl Castro, Alejandro Castro.
The portfolio headed by Scott Bessent issued the same measures against five Cuban entities: the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the Amistur Cuba SA travel agency, the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples, and the La Victoria mining company.
Although Washington has maintained an embargo on Havana for decades, Trump has drastically increased pressure on the island in recent months and has openly referred to the possibility of annexing it to U.S. territory.
He has also imposed a de facto fuel blockade and has been increasing pressure on Cuba in an attempt to get rid of the communist authorities that have governed it since 1959.
Shortly after the measure imposed by OFAC became known, the Cuban government condemned the new financial sanctions and assured that any action aimed at “building a conflict scenario” is destined for “failure,” as reported by EFE.
In a social media post, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez, stated that the “vile inclusion” of Díaz-Canel, part of his family, and Cuban institutions on the sanctions list is “the latest example of the U.S. interventionist plan” to present Havana “as a threat to the national security of the United States.”
“Every U.S. action aimed at building a conflict scenario between the two countries will be destined for failure. Every threat against Cuba’s independence and sovereignty will be met with more unity and determination from our people”, the foreign minister pointed out.
Shortly after, the Cuban president himself spoke out against the measure, assuring that “the U.S. president makes new threatening statements against Cuba,” incorporating “new names of Cuban leaders, organizations, and companies into an illegitimate sanctions list.”
“They are aimed at reinforcing the blockade measures and the conflict scenario between Cuba and the United States,” he added on his X account, later stating that “this political blindness is added to the coercive measures applied in recent weeks against our country, designed to harm the Cuban people”.
And finally, pointing out that “the aggressiveness and perversion of the Yankee government will clash with our decision to face the worst scenarios and resist the imperial onslaught.”
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