The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, rejected the new sanctions announced by the United States against Cuban state entities on Monday and accused the administration of President Donald Trump of intensifying its pressure policy on the island.
Through a message posted on the social network X, the chancellor stated that "the US government continues to escalate the war against the people of Cuba, their living conditions, and sources of livelihood."
Rodríguez 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 blockade does," referring to the sanctions policy that the Cuban government has denounced 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 various 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., along with other companies linked to the regime's economic apparatus.
Rodríguez's statements maintain the narrative that the Cuban regime has followed in response to each new round of sanctions imposed by Washington during 2026.
After the measures against five entities linked to GAESA announced on June 23, the chancellor characterized the decision as an "act of war" and lashed out at the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, whom he described as "dishonest and deceitful."
Days later, he stated: “We are not interested in the opinion of the United States”, referring to the recently approved economic reforms by the regime.
On July 7, during an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly convened by Cuba to denounce the "blockade," Rodríguez interrupted the speech of U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz twice, who questioned the narrative of the Havana government regarding the embargo, asserting that "the only embargo is the guillotine that the regime holds over the heads of its own citizens."
The new sanctions arrive just two days after the fifth anniversary of the massive protests on July 11, 2021, a date on which the Secretary of State reiterated Washington's support for the Cuban people and warned that the Trump administration will maintain pressure on the regime. On the same day, the U.S. Senate promoted a resolution with eight demands directed at the Castro government.
Since early 2026, the Trump administration has imposed more than 240 restrictive measures against the Cuban regime as part of its maximum pressure strategy. Among these are sanctions against GAESA, the MININT, the MINFAR, Miguel Díaz-Canel, Alejandro Castro Espín, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), 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 the deterioration of living conditions have fueled social discontent, while human rights organizations assert that, five years after the 11J protests, 1,281 political prisoners remain incarcerated, among whom 338 were convicted for participating in those demonstrations.
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