US Tightens Cuba Sanctions, Expands Enforcement Against American Travelers
Washington imposes fresh penalties on Cuban state firms and expands enforcement of restrictions on Americans who visit the island.
The Trump administration is escalating its economic pressure on Cuba, announcing new sanctions on Thursday against ten state-owned enterprises in the mining, metals, and construction sectors. The Treasury and State departments also moved against the leadership of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), which Washington accuses of orchestrating a covert influence operation inside the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said ICAP has been responsible for building "a vast subversive network" aimed at recruiting and radicalizing Americans. His statement referenced recent events marking the 100th birthday of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, during which the institute reportedly brought international sympathizers to Havana to meet with regime officials.
Rubio framed the measures as a response to what he called a hostile foreign power exploiting American freedoms while denying its own citizens the same rights. He accused Cuba of using deception and espionage tactics to spread Marxist ideology and racial division.
The latest actions build on a broader campaign by the administration to cut off revenue streams for the Cuban government. Washington has also maintained an oil blockade imposed after the US military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whose government had supplied Cuba with free crude. That blockade has deepened the economic crisis on the island.
Cuba has consistently rejected the sanctions and the long-standing US embargo, arguing that Washington is targeting a poor nation for ideological reasons and its geographic proximity to the United States.