U.S. sanctions Cuban President Díaz-Canel and key state institutions

The measures were announced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which oversees the country’s sanctions programs.

Among those designated is Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel. The sanctions list also includes Alejandro Castro Espín, the son of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro, as well as several individuals linked to Cuba’s political leadership.

Washington also targeted a number of prominent Cuban institutions. They include the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, a nationwide organization with a presence in neighborhoods across the country, and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), a government-affiliated organization that promotes Cuba’s international relations and solidarity programs.

Two companies were also added to the sanctions list: travel agency Amistur Cuba S.A. and mining company Minera La Victoria S.A.

Under U.S. sanctions rules, any assets of designated individuals or entities that fall under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen. American citizens and companies are generally prohibited from doing business with those on the list unless they receive special authorization.

The sanctions were imposed under Executive Order 14404, a legal framework used by the U.S. government to impose sanctions on certain Cuban individuals and entities.

Cuban officials had not publicly responded to the new sanctions at the time of publication.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump said he was prepared to take action on Cuba.