On June 5, the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions targeting Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, his wife, and his stepchild. This is the latest in a series of measures by Washington to ramp up pressure on the Cuban government.
The sanctions also target the son and grandson of former President Raul Castro, whom the U.S. issued an arrest warrant for last month. Additionally, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Cuban military, and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), an agency that monitors counter-revolutionary activities, have been added to the sanctions list.
The Washington administration argues that Cuba's communist regime poses a threat to U.S. national security. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action against the island nation since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. Trump insists that rolling back left-wing governments in the Americas is necessary for U.S. interests.
Speaking on June 5, Trump said: "We will deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and as soon as that is done, on the way back, we'll stop by for a little visit," alluding to Cuba. He also denied that the sanctions aim to hasten Cuba's collapse, saying he only "wants them to become a well-run country." However, he admitted "the country is starving, has no energy, no oil, no money, nothing," and when asked if Cuba is on the verge of collapse, he said: "It's kind of collapsed."
President Diaz-Canel accused Trump of attempting "to intensify the blockade and the scenario of conflict between Cuba and the U.S." On social media, he wrote: "This political blindness is added to the coercive measures imposed in recent weeks against our country, designed to harm the Cuban people. The belligerence and malice of the Yankee government will clash with our resolve to confront the worst scenarios and resist the imperialist assault."
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called the sanctions "cowardly" and viewed them as the latest example of U.S. interventionism. He wrote: "Every threat against Cuba's independence and sovereignty will be met with even greater unity and determination from our people."
Cuba has been under a U.S. trade embargo since 1962, but pressure has intensified significantly under Trump. Since January, Cuba has had no diesel for its power generators, leading to blackouts lasting up to 22 hours a day and a shortage of clean water. The island is also lacking food and medicine, relying on aid shipments from Mexico and China.
In a related development, the U.S. announced criminal charges against former President Raul Castro for the 1996 shootdown of two small planes belonging to the exile group Brothers to the Rescue.
