U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel

Darwin, 06 June : The United States has intensified pressure on communist-ruled Cuba by imposing sanctions on President Miguel Díaz-Canel and several associated individuals and entities, marking the latest development in rising tensions between Washington and Havana.

According to Al Jazeera, the U.S. Treasury Department published the sanctions list on its website on Thursday.

The new sanctions target not only President Díaz-Canel but also his wife and stepson, as well as the brother of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, the son and a grandson of former president Raúl Castro.

In addition to individuals, the sanctions encompass Cuba’s Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the national military, and the “Committees for the Defense of the Revolution” (CDR).

The move comes at a time when Cuba is already facing severe electricity shortages and food crises due to a longstanding U.S. naval fuel embargo.

Last month, the U.S. issued an arrest warrant against Raúl Castro, accusing him of involvement in a 1996 criminal attack in which two small planes were shot down by the organization “Brothers to the Rescue,” which was composed of exiled Cubans. Washington claims that Cuba’s communist government poses a threat to U.S. security.

Since January, U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened military action in Latin America to topple leftist governments, starting with the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Regarding Cuba, Trump commented, “We will first take care of Iran’s Islamic Republic. Once that is done, on the way back, we will make a brief stop in Cuba.”

Cuban President Díaz-Canel strongly condemned the U.S. move, accusing Washington of attempting to create conflict between the two nations. On social media, he stated, “This political blindness is coupled with coercive measures recently imposed on our country, designed to harm ordinary Cubans. The aggressive and distorted mindset of the Yankee government will have to yield before the firm resolve of our people to confront extreme situations and imperialist aggression.”

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also described the sanctions as “reprehensible” and a prime example of U.S. interventionism, asserting, “Any threat to Cuba’s independence and sovereignty will be met by our people with even greater unity and determination.”

Cuba has been under a U.S. trade embargo since 1962, but the Trump administration has recently escalated these pressures to unprecedented levels. Since January, a diesel shortage for generators has caused electricity blackouts of up to 22 hours daily, resulting in severe water scarcity. The country is also grappling with extreme shortages of food and medicine, increasingly relying on humanitarian aid from Mexico and China.

In response to questions about whether the sanctions could push Cuba toward collapse, Trump denied such intent, claiming, “We just want them to be a well-run country.” He added, “The country is hungry, there’s no fuel, no oil, no money, nothing.” When asked if Cuba is on the brink of collapse, he replied, “It’s somewhat falling apart. Once the war with Iran is finished, we will look at this.”