US Imposes Sanctions on Cuban President Diaz-Canel and Regime-Linked Luxury Hotels

The United States has announced new sanctions targeting Cuba’s leadership and luxury tourism sector, marking a sharp escalation in its stance against the Cuban government.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the State Department has sanctioned several senior Cuban officials, including President Miguel Diaz-Canel, in connection with their roles in suppressing antigovernment protests that erupted four years ago.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Rubio stated the US would be “restricting visas for Cuban regime figureheads,” naming President Diaz-Canel, Defence Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera, and Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas, along with their “cronies,” for their “brutality toward the Cuban people.”

The measures also include sanctions against multiple “regime-controlled” luxury hotels, aimed at cutting off revenue streams that the US claims are used to support government repression rather than benefit ordinary Cubans.

The move comes on the fourth anniversary of the massive protests that swept across Cuba in July 2021, driven by widespread frustration over economic hardship, shortages of basic goods, and demands for political freedom.

The Cuban government has consistently blamed the United States and its long-standing embargo for the island’s economic troubles, while US officials accuse Havana of systematic human rights violations and political oppression.

It remains unclear how the sanctions will impact Cuba’s already struggling economy, but experts suggest they could further isolate the Cuban leadership and increase pressure for political reforms.