A new wave of sanctions against Cuba was announced by the State Department, focusing its interest on private and public sector legal entities, including organizations related to the armed forces and the Ministry of Tourism. Tourism is considered one of the main sectors of economic activity in the Caribbean state.

Cuba and Sanctions

The US Department of State spoke of paramilitary organizations and agencies that constitute "pillars" of the government in the public and private sectors, such as commercial companies, including some operating in the petroleum trade. As reported by ANA-MPA, it even characterized "paramilitary organizations," such as veterans' associations, some of which fall under the Ministry of Defense, as "tools of repression" of the "Cuban regime." Some of the entities are linked to the military business group GAESA, which controls strategic sectors of the economy on the Caribbean island under a communist government and is already targeted by US sanctions. The entities announced yesterday as blacklisted will see any of their assets within US jurisdiction seized, while any transaction with them by individuals and legal entities in the US is henceforth prohibited.

Threat to Tourism

Washington's measures against the Ministry of Tourism pose a new threat to foreign hotel groups, particularly Spain's Melia and Iberostar. The latter withdrew in early July from managing hotels owned by GAESA, but maintained their operations in others that fell under the Ministry of Tourism. The announcement, on July 13, of "additional coercive measures is clear proof of the criminal and genocidal intent of those who rule the US, who are determined to punish the entire population of the country," Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez commented via X. Beyond the US embargo, in effect since 1962, Washington, which does not hide its desire for regime change in Havana, has been imposing an oil blockade on Cuba since January, having allowed the passage of only one Russian crude oil tanker.

Blackouts

Last week, the island suffered new widespread power outages. The electricity generation and distribution network, outdated and crumbling, frequently suffers breakdowns, general or local, but the oil blockade worsened the problem even further, as it deprives the country of fuel deliveries that power stations. Yesterday, Monday, moreover, while speaking to journalists about the war with Iran, US President Donald Trump said there could be Iranian drones on the Caribbean island. If "they indeed have them, and they might very well have them, we will settle it," the US President sent a message. "We are looking into it."

Source: ink.com