The Cuban government has firmly rejected the latest sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Published May 2, 2026
The Cuban government has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s new sanctions, calling them “unilateral coercive measures” aimed at imposing “collective punishment on the Cuban people.”
In a social media post on Friday, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said that “these measures are extraterritorial in nature and violate the United Nations Charter,” and further asserted that the United States “has no right to impose measures against Cuba or against any third country or entity.”
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“While the US government represses its own people in the streets, it seeks to punish our own people who heroically resist the attacks of US imperialism,” he said.
The Cuban minister’s remarks came hours after the White House signaled further tightening of its policy toward the Caribbean island nation.
Earlier on Friday, President Trump issued an executive order expanding sanctions against the Cuban government, according to two White House officials who spoke to Reuters. The move serves as Washington’s effort to increase pressure on Havana after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was abducted by U.S. forces in January and President Trump recently warned that “Cuba is next.”
“Unusual and unusual threat”
According to Reuters, the new US sanctions target individuals and entities that support the Cuban government’s security forces.
The measures also target those involved in corruption and serious human rights violations, as well as those working as officials or supporters of the Cuban government.
It remains unclear which individuals and groups will be affected by the new restrictions. But a White House statement said, without providing evidence, that the Caribbean island had become a “safe haven for transnational terrorist organizations” such as the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The Trump administration has recently threatened Cuba with a military attack in addition to increasing economic pressure.
Earlier this year, President Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency in response to what the White House described as an “unusual and unusual threat” posed by the Cuban government.
President Trump’s actions establish a framework for imposing additional tariffs on all countries that directly or indirectly supply oil to Cuba, reproducing an effective fuel blockade on the island, crushing an already weakened economy and imposing enormous burdens on everyday Cubans.
Frequent power outages are increasing as severe fuel shortages strain the country’s power grid.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate blocked a resolution aimed at preventing President Trump from launching military action against Cuba without Congressional approval. The Republican-controlled Senate voted 51-47 against the resolution, largely along party lines.
