Cuba Accuses US of 'Collective Punishment' with New Economic Sanctions

On May 1, the Cuban government denounced new economic sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump as a 'collective punishment' against its citizens. The statement came as tens of thousands of Cubans took to the streets in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana, chanting 'Defend the Fatherland.'

In an executive order signed April 25, President Trump announced sanctions targeting individuals operating in multiple sectors of Cuba's economy, including energy, defense, mining, financial services, and security. The move is aimed at increasing pressure on Havana following Washington's ouster of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called the measures a 'collective punishment' against the Cuban people. On social media platform X, he wrote in English: 'We firmly reject the recent unilateral coercive measures imposed by the U.S. government.'

Trump has previously publicly considered the possibility of military intervention in Cuba. In a speech in Florida on April 25, he said: 'On our way back from Iran, we can send the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to 100 yards off the coast of Cuba, and they will say: "Thank you very much. We surrender."' This statement followed an earlier expression of his idea to 'take over Cuba' in March.

Cuba's economic situation has deteriorated significantly since Washington imposed a fuel blockade in January. Only one Russian oil tanker has managed to run the blockade since then. Shortages of goods and power cuts have become widespread. Tourism, once Cuba's leading economic sector, has severely declined.

Trump's executive order also targets Cuban officials alleged to have committed 'serious human rights violations' or corruption. According to lawyer Jeremy Paner, a former sanctions investigator with the U.S. Treasury Department, this is the most significant measure against foreign companies since the U.S. embargo on Cuba began decades ago. 'Oil, mining, and banking companies that have carefully separated their Cuban operations from the U.S. will no longer be protected,' said Paner, now a partner at law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed.

The new sanctions come despite efforts toward dialogue between the two countries, with senior U.S. officials visiting the island in April. Washington has long demanded that Havana open its state-run economy, compensate for assets seized by the government of late leader Fidel Castro, and hold 'free and fair' elections. Cuba insists its socialist form of government is not a matter for negotiation.

On April 30, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel called on citizens to take to the streets 'against the genocidal blockade and the brutal imperialist threats against our country.' The May 1 march was led by Diaz-Canel and former revolutionary leader Raul Castro.