U.S. Imposes Sanctions on Cuban Leaders Amid Protest Anniversary
The U.S. government announced on Friday the imposition of sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and several other high-ranking officials due to human rights abuses, coinciding with the anniversary of significant protests that occurred on the island in recent years.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on the social media platform X that the Department of State would also enforce visa restrictions on Cuban judicial and prison officials deemed "responsible for, or complicit in, the unjust detention and torture of the July 2021 protesters."
The protests, which unfolded on July 11 and 12, 2021, were notable for their grassroots emergence and highlighted the severity of Cuba’s ongoing economic crisis.
“America will continue to advocate for the human rights and essential freedoms of the Cuban populace, making it clear that illegitimate, dictatorial regimes are not welcome in our region,” Rubio declared in his announcement.
The Trump administration’s approach towards Cuba has been notably more stringent than that of the Biden administration.
Aside from Díaz-Canel, the U.S. also sanctioned Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera and Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas.
In response to the sanctions, Johana Tablada, deputy director for U.S. affairs at the Cuban Foreign Ministry, criticized Rubio, labeling him a “defender of genocide, prisons, and mass deportations.”
The protests of 2021 were sparked by frequent power outages in Havana and other areas.
One individual lost his life during the demonstrations, and several protests ended in vandalism and chaos.
Pro-government groups, alongside authorities, swiftly moved to suppress the protests. Human rights organizations estimated that over 1,000 individuals were arrested, although the Cuban government has not provided official statistics.
At the time, Cuban officials attributed the unrest to a U.S.-led media campaign and longstanding U.S. sanctions.
In 2022, state prosecutors reported that approximately 790 individuals were being investigated for various acts linked to the protests, including disorderly conduct and vandalism.
The advocacy group 11J, referencing the protests, indicated late last year that 554 individuals were serving sentences related to the events, although some received conditional releases in January following an intervention from Pope Francis.
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