Cuba Slams New Trump Sanctions as 'Collective Punishment'

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday expanding sanctions against the Cuban government, according to two White House officials who spoke to Reuters. Cuba has rejected the new sanctions, calling them “unilateral coercive measures” that impose “collective punishment on the Cuban people.”

In a social media post Friday (May 1), Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the measures have extraterritorial effect and violate the UN Charter. He asserted that the U.S. “has no right to impose measures against Cuba, nor against third countries or entities.”

“While the U.S. government represses its own people on the streets, it seeks to punish our people, who are heroically resisting the attacks of U.S. imperialism,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez’s statement came hours after the White House signaled a further hardening of policy toward the Caribbean island nation. The move aims to increase pressure on Havana following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces in January and Trump’s recent warning that “Cuba is next.”

'Unusual and extraordinary threat'

The new U.S. sanctions target individuals and groups that support the Cuban government’s security forces, according to Reuters. The measures also target those involved in corruption, serious human rights violations, or anyone acting as an official or supporter of the Cuban government.

It is unclear which individuals or entities are affected by the new restrictions. However, a White House statement—without providing evidence—claimed the Caribbean island is a “safe haven for transnational terrorist groups” such as the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

The Trump administration has recently threatened Cuba with military strikes alongside increased economic pressure. Earlier this year, Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency to confront the “unusual and extraordinary threat” from the Cuban government.

Trump’s measures set up a framework to impose additional tariffs on any country that supplies oil to Cuba, directly or indirectly, recreating an effective fuel blockade on the island. This cripples an already weak economy and places a heavy burden on ordinary Cubans. Frequent power outages have increased as the national grid struggles under severe fuel shortages.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate blocked a resolution aimed at preventing Trump from taking military action against Cuba without congressional approval. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 51-47, largely along party lines, against the resolution.