The ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel responded this Saturday to the latest round of U.S. sanctions against the island with a defiant message on X, asserting that "the week ends with new imperial dictates against those who work for Cuba to thrive."
In his post on social media, the Cuban leader challenged Washington with a phrase that encapsulates Havana's official stance: "The list of 'sanctioned' will be endless. We are millions—in Cuba and around the world—writing the great odyssey of Cuban resistance with talent, patriotism, and solidarity."
The message arrived two days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against 11 Cuban entities—eight organizations and three individuals—linked to the military apparatus of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the nickel sector.
The designated military entities include SIMPRO, CIDNAV, CIDAI, and GELCOM, which are related to simulation, the Navy, infantry weaponry, and military electronics.
In the mining sector, SERCONI, CEPRONIQUEL, CEDINIQ and PINARES S.A. were sanctioned, striking one of the main sources of foreign currency for the regime.
The measures were implemented under the Executive Order 14404 signed by Trump on May 1, 2026, which expanded the legal framework to block assets, prohibit entry to the United States, and sanction foreign financial institutions that conduct business with designated Cuban entities.
The chancellor Bruno Rodríguez condemned the new measures as part of a policy of "maximum economic suffocation" and "collective punishment" against the Cuban population, and reiterated that there are no negotiations underway with Washington.
Díaz-Canel's response fits into a pattern of resistance rhetoric he has maintained throughout 2026 in the face of sustained U.S. pressure. In July, he described the sanctions as a "genocidal design plan"; in September, he referred to them as "state terrorism" and accused Washington of wanting to "starve" the Cuban people into submission.
The pressure campaign by the Trump administration has accumulated more than 250 sanctions since January, impacting sectors such as energy, tourism, mining, medical missions, and intelligence.
Among the most significant milestones: on June 4, the U.S. imposed sanctions directly on Díaz-Canel himself, his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza, and Alejandro Castro Espín; on September 3, designated Raúl Castro's grandson and five additional entities.
As the regime accumulates declarations of defiance, the economic and energy situation on the island worsens.
Rodríguez estimated the cumulative damage from the embargo at 8.083.3 million dollars just between March 2025 and February 2026, a 7% increase compared to the previous period, according to data that the chancellor himself presented to international organizations.
Rubio, for his part, declared that the U.S. has imposed "the strongest sanctions in history" against Cuba and that the pressure will continue until the regime changes course.
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