WASHINGTON — The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, his wife, and three other individuals, prompting criticism from the Cuban government.
The sanctions also target Alejandro Castro Espín, an adviser to Cuba’s Defense and National Security Commission and the son of former Cuban President Raúl Castro, as well as Castro Espín’s son, Raúl Alejandro Castro Calis.
The measures freeze any assets held by the sanctioned individuals within U.S. jurisdiction and prohibit transactions involving their property under U.S. law.
The sanctions come amid increased pressure by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Cuba. The administration has expanded sanctions against the island and imposed restrictions affecting its energy sector.
Díaz-Canel criticized the measures, saying they were intended to strengthen the U.S. embargo and increase tensions between the two countries.
“These measures are aimed at reinforcing the blockade and escalating the conflict between Cuba and the United States,” Díaz-Canel wrote on social media.
He added that the sanctions were designed to harm the Cuban people and said Cuba would continue to resist U.S. pressure.
Asked whether the sanctions were intended to accelerate the collapse of Cuba’s government, Trump said the United States wanted Cuba to become “a nicely run country.”
“The country is starving and it’s got no energy, it’s got no oil, it’s got no money,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the individuals sanctioned were involved in supporting the Cuban government and its activities.
In addition to the individuals, the sanctions target several Cuban institutions, including the Ministry of Defense, the Institute for Friendship with the Peoples, tourism entity Amistur Cuba, and the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez condemned the sanctions, describing them as part of a broader effort to portray Cuba as a threat to U.S. national security.
“Every US action aimed at creating a scenario of conflict between the two countries is destined to fail,” Rodríguez said in a social media post.
Díaz-Canel became Cuba’s president in 2018, succeeding Raúl Castro and becoming the first Cuban leader in decades not to carry the Castro surname. His wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza, and his stepson, Miguel Anido Cuesta, were also included in the sanctions.
The latest measures expand existing U.S. sanctions against Cuba and increase pressure on the island’s leadership amid ongoing economic challenges.