The United States has imposed a fresh round of sanctions on top Cuban leaders and members of the influential Castro family, significantly escalating tensions between Washington and Havana amid an ongoing pressure campaign against the communist-led island nation.
The latest sanctions, announced by the US Treasury Department, target Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, several members of his immediate family, and relatives of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. The measures are part of the Donald Trump administration’s broader strategy aimed at increasing political and economic pressure on Cuba’s leadership.
Among those sanctioned are Díaz-Canel’s wife Lis Cuesta Peraza and her son Manuel Anido Cuesta. Alejandro Castro Espín, the son of former President Raúl Castro and a prominent security adviser in Cuba, has also been included in the sanctions list along with several Cuban government entities, including the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.
The US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said the sanctions are intended to hold Cuban authorities accountable for alleged repression and activities viewed by Washington as threats to US national security and foreign policy. The move comes shortly after the Trump administration introduced a new executive order further tightening restrictions on Cuba and threatening secondary sanctions on foreign companies doing business with Cuban state-linked enterprises.
The sanctions mark another sharp escalation in the deteriorating relationship between the two countries. Over recent months, the Trump administration has intensified its campaign against Cuba through oil restrictions, economic penalties, and legal action against senior Cuban figures. In May, the United States filed criminal charges against former Cuban president Raúl Castro over the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by the exile group Brothers to the Rescue, an incident that killed four people.
The Cuban government has strongly condemned the latest sanctions, calling them an act of political aggression and interventionism. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez accused Washington of attempting to destabilise the country and provoke internal unrest. President Díaz-Canel also criticised the measures, arguing that the US is trying to intensify economic hardship on the island at a time when Cuba is already facing severe fuel shortages and an ongoing economic crisis.
The growing pressure from Washington has already had visible economic consequences for Cuba. Several international hotel chains and foreign companies have reportedly reduced or ended operations in Cuba after recent US measures threatened penalties for firms linked to Cuban military-controlled enterprises such as GAESA, a conglomerate believed to oversee a major portion of the country’s economy.
Despite officially stepping down from power years ago, Raúl Castro continues to remain an influential figure in Cuban politics. He recently made a public appearance in Havana during celebrations marking his 95th birthday, where Cuban leaders reiterated their opposition to what they described as growing US hostility toward the island nation.
The United States has maintained an embargo on Cuba for decades, but analysts say the latest measures reflect one of the most aggressive US approaches toward Havana in recent years. The sanctions are expected to further strain diplomatic ties and deepen Cuba’s already worsening economic challenges.
