Miami, US (EFE).- United States President Donald Trump intensified sanctions against the Cuban government on Friday, targeting any foreign or American individuals operating in sectors vital to the island’s foreign currency income.
«These actions constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to US national security and foreign policy, requiring immediate response to protect American citizens and interests,» Trump wrote in his latest executive order.
The new sanctions target the pillars of the Cuban economy, especially the energy, defense, mining, and financial services sectors.
According to the executive order, any person or company operating in these sectors or doing business with Cuba will have their assets in the US completely blocked.
Furthermore, the White House warned that if a bank from another country facilitates «transactions» for someone sanctioned in Cuba, the bank will face the closure of its accounts on Wall Street or a ban on operating in dollars.
The decision marks a further step in the system of sanctions against Cuba, which not only punishes members of the Cuban government but also executives, leaders, officials, and individuals at any level.
The sanctions also suspend entry into the US for anyone related to these criteria.
The Trump administration claimed that these sanctions would take effect immediately because funds or assets could be transferred instantly, allowing them to be circumvented with prior notification.
The executive order sparked joy among several US congresspeople of Cuban origin in Florida, including Republicans Carlos A. Giménez and María Elvira Salazar.
«I commend the Trump Administration for taking decisive action and expanding sanctions on this dictatorship. The era of appeasement is over; we will not allow a regime aligned with our enemies to operate 90 miles from our shores,» Salazar wrote on X.
Giménez indicated that Cuba must understand that if it continues to act in bad faith, there will be much more severe consequences.
Since January, the US government has intensified pressure on Havana with an oil blockade, and Trump has suggested on various occasions the need for regime change on the island. EFE
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