Trump sanctions Cuba, Cuba calls them collective punishment
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- Trump issued an executive order on Friday imposing sanctions on individuals and entities operating in Cuba’s energy, defence, metals and mining, financial services, security sectors, and on officials accused of serious human‑rights abuses or corruption.
- Bruno Rodriguez posted on X that the sanctions constitute “collective punishment” of the Cuban people and denounced the U.S. government’s unilateral coercive measures.
- Miguel Diaz‑Canel led a massive May 1 procession outside the U.S. embassy in Havana, joined by former revolutionary leader Raúl Castro, chanting “Defend the Homeland”.
- Trump in a Florida speech suggested the U.S. could deploy the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier off Cuba’s coast and demand the island’s surrender.
- Jeremy Paner, a former Treasury sanctions investigator, said the new measures are the most significant action against non‑American companies since the embargo began, stripping protection from oil‑and‑gas, mining firms and banks that had segregated Cuban operations.
- Cuba has seen worsening shortages, power cuts and a collapse in tourism after a fuel blockade in January left only one Russian oil tanker reaching the island.
Why it matters: The sanctions widen economic pressure on Cuba, hurting ordinary citizens and foreign firms that had insulated their Cuban operations, while giving the U.S. a stronger bargaining chip in its demand for political reforms and reparations. The move also risks further isolating Cuba internationally and could trigger retaliatory measures from allies of the island.
