On Friday (11), the U.S. State Department announced new sanctions against Cuba. The measures amid a tense scenario, after President Donald Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) on June 30, reinforcing Washington’s policy of hostility towards the Caribbean island.
According to a statement issued by the State Department, the sanctions consist of imposing visa restrictions on the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel; the country’s Minister of Defense, Álvaro López Miera; the Minister of the Interior, Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas; and their immediate family members.
During Donald Trump’s first term, similar measures were applied to then President Raúl Castro. The new sanctions may affect Miguel Díaz-Canel’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly, which will take place in New York.
Despite international repercussions, these sanctions are imposed unilaterally by the U.S. State Department, without consulting any multilateral organization. The measure is based on a provision in the State Department’s Budget Act for fiscal year 2025, which requires the U.S. government to compile a list of foreign officials accused of corruption or political repression, provided there is concrete evidence.
The White House’s official justification is that the three Cuban officials were involved in “serious human rights violations”. As part of the same package of sanctions, the United States has extended visa restrictions to officials in the Cuban judicial and prison system, who have been named for their alleged involvement in the arbitrary arrests of protesters.
In addition, 11 accommodations were added to the list of “restricted properties” – hotels or other hosting places in which U.S. citizens are prohibited from staying. Among them is the recently opened 42-storey Torre K Hotel in Havana, considered one of Cuba’s most ambitious tourism projects.
According to the White House, these hotels are linked to the Business Administration Group (GAESA, in Spanish), a state-owned company controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces. According to the U.S. government, the sanctions aim to prevent funds from U.S. citizens or companies from reaching the Cuban government.
The measures are in addition to a broader campaign aimed at reducing tourism to the island. As part of this strategy, the U.S. government has systematically denied visas to third-country nationals interested in visiting Cuba.
Tourism is one of the main sources of foreign currency for the Cuban state, which provides for social investments, such as subsidies for food, health and education. Washington’s systematic attack on the Cuban tourism sector seeks to weaken the state’s ability to maintain these investments.
Through social media, Miguel Díaz-Canel said that what bothers the United States is Cuba’s true independence, classifying the new sanctions as a continuation of Washington’s historically hostile policy towards Havana.
“What bothers the U.S. about Cuba is its true independence: the fact that transnational corporations don’t rule here. We have free health and education, and we don’t ask permission to condemn Israeli and American crimes against the Palestinian people,” he said.
The announcement of sanctions targeting Cuba coincided with that of mass layoffs at the State Department. On Friday (11), it was confirmed that the Trump administration would continue to lay off more than 1,300 State Department employees, as part of a White House cost-cutting plan. The measure was taken after the suspension of a temporary ban imposed by a lower court, which allowed the layoffs to proceed. According to the local press, many of those affected received notifications by email, without further explanation.
