Related videos:
Cuba's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, rejected the new sanctions announced by the United States against Cuban state entities on Monday and accused President Donald Trump's administration of intensifying its pressure policy on the island.
Through a message published on the social network X, the chancellor stated that "the US government continues to intensify the war against the people of Cuba, their living conditions, and sources of livelihood."
Rodríguez also described the new measures as a "clear manifestation of the criminal and genocidal intent with which U.S. leaders are determined to punish the entire population of the country."
The message concluded with the hashtag #CubaNoEsUnaAmenaza and the phrase "The embargo does," referring to the sanctions policy that the Cuban government has been denouncing for decades.
The chancellor's reaction came just hours after the Department of State and the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a new round of sanctions against several Cuban entities, including the Rapid Response Brigades, the Territorial Troops Militia (MTT), the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution (ACRC), the Ministry of Tourism (MINTUR), and the companies COREYDAN S.A. and ENETEC S.A., as well as other companies linked to the regime's economic apparatus.
Rodríguez's statements maintain the narrative that the Cuban government has followed in response to each new round of sanctions imposed by Washington throughout 2026.
Following the measures announced on June 23 against five entities linked to GAESA, the chancellor referred to the decision as a "declaration of war" and criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling him "dishonest and deceitful."
Days later, he stated that "we are not interested in the opinion of the United States", and on July 7, he took part in a exchange during a United Nations session called by Cuba to denounce U.S. policy.
The new sanctions come just two days after the fifth anniversary of the protests on July 11, 2021, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated Washington's support for the Cuban people and warned that the Trump administration will keep the pressure on the regime. On the same day, the U.S. Senate advanced a resolution with eight demands directed at the Government of Havana.
Since the beginning of 2026, the Trump administration has imposed more than 240 restrictive measures against the Cuban regime as part of its maximum pressure strategy. These measures include sanctions against GAESA, MININT, MINFAR, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), Miguel Díaz-Canel, CUPET, and other state entities linked to the security, defense, energy, and tourism sectors.
The tightening of sanctions coincides with a deep economic and energy crisis on the island. Persistent blackouts and deteriorating living conditions have fueled social discontent, while human rights organizations claim that, five years after the 11J protests, 1,281 political prisoners remain incarcerated, 338 of whom were convicted for participating in those demonstrations.
Filed under: