Trump increases pressure: US imposes sanctions on Cuban president

Exactly four years ago, thousands of people took to the streets in Cuba. The government violently suppressed the protests and imprisoned hundreds. Now, the Trump administration is imposing sanctions on the country's "important" politicians for their involvement.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel for his "role in the regime's brutality against the people." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this on X, citing the violent suppression of mass protests in the country exactly four years ago. Visa restrictions would also apply to Cuba's Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera and Interior Minister Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, Rubio explained. Since US President Donald Trump's return to the White House, the US has increased pressure on the Cuban government.

The US State Department announced that it was sanctioning the country's "key" politicians for their "involvement in serious human rights violations." Visa restrictions have also been imposed on numerous Cuban judicial and penitentiary officials who "participated in the unjustified detention and torture of protesters in July 2021," it added. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez condemned the US sanctions and stated on X that the US is unable "to break the will of this people and its leaders."

"While the Cuban people suffer from a lack of food, water, medicine and electricity, the regime is wasting money," Rubio wrote on the fourth anniversary of the protests in Cuba.

On July 11 and 12, 2021, thousands of people took to the streets in Cuba to protest against the lack of basic goods and the deteriorating economic situation. The government violently suppressed the protests and sentenced several hundred people to prison terms of up to 25 years.

Trump reversed the agreement

According to the US, 700 people are still in custody for participating in the protests; human rights organizations estimate the number at 360 to 420. Rubio told X that the US demands "an immediate release of all prisoners."

In the spring, Cuba announced that it had released more than 550 political prisoners early, thus fulfilling an agreement reached with former US President Joe Biden. In mid-January, the previous US administration announced that it would remove Cuba from the US terror list if the island nation, in return, released 553 prisoners arrested during the protests. Cuba subsequently began releasing prisoners.

According to non-governmental organizations, 192 people were released under the Vatican-brokered agreement. However, immediately after taking office, Trump reversed the decision and placed Cuba back on the terror list.

Tensions between the US and Cuba continue to rise during Trump's second term. At the end of June, the US president signed a memorandum to intensify his policy of maximum pressure against Cuba, against which the US imposed an economic embargo six decades ago. The US State Department announced on Friday that it would take measures to implement this policy.