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Miguel Díaz-Canel reacted this Friday through his account on X to the new executive order signed by Donald Trump that expands sanctions against the Cuban regime, accusing the U.S. government of demonstrating its "moral poverty" and its "disregard for the sensitivity and common sense of Americans and the entire international community."
In his official tweet published this Friday, the leader rejected Washington's justification and stated: "No honest person can accept the excuse that Cuba is a threat to that country. The blockade and its reinforcement cause so much harm, due to the intimidating and arrogant behavior of the greatest military power on the planet."
The reaction came hours after Trump signed, precisely on International Workers' Day, a new executive order that blocks all assets linked to the Cuban regime in U.S. territory.
The measure is based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and extends Executive Order 14380 of January 29, 2026, which declared the Cuban government an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the national security of the United States.
Among the most significant provisions, the new order imposes secondary sanctions on foreign banks and entities that conduct transactions with sanctioned Cuban entities, risking the loss of access to the dollar.
It also prohibits the entry into the U.S. of sanctioned Cuban officials and their adult family members, and grants joint authority to the Secretary of State and the Treasury to designate new targets in sectors such as energy, defense, mining, and financial services.
The Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez also responded by calling the measures "repugnant, illegal, abusive, and ridiculous" and assured that "they will not intimidate us."
The announcement came while Raúl Castro and Díaz-Canel were leading the May 1st parade at the José Martí Anti-Imperialist Tribune, in front of the U.S. embassy in Havana, in what was a sad display of forced commitment.
The Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the sanctions by claiming that Cuba hosts intelligence bases from China and Russia just 90 miles from the U.S. and that economic reforms are impossible with these people in charge.
Since January 2026, the Trump administration has imposed more than 240 sanctions against Cuba and intercepted at least seven tankers heading to the island.
The Cuban-American congresswoman María Elvira Salazar celebrated the new measures with a phrase that summarizes Washington's stance: "The era of turning a blind eye is over."
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