The Department of the Treasury of the United States announced economic sanctions to all members of the Cuban government who have acted in the repression of the anti-government protests of the past weeks in Cuba.
In this sense, President Joe Biden said that this “is only the beginning of the United States sanctions against individuals responsible for the oppression of the Cuban people.”
This type of sanction blocks any assets that the official may have under US jurisdiction and prohibits any American from negotiating with them. Although these types of sanctions are only “symbolic” or very diplomatic in some way, because they do not benefit or harm the Cuban people at all, nor do they harm the fight against the island’s government.
One of those sanctioned by the Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), Alvaro López-Miera, as well as all the elite military unit known as “black wasps”, the special brigade of the Ministry of the Interior.
The Department of the Treasury rejects that the Ministry of the FAR has disappeared to more than 100 protesters as a form of repression of government protests. And it holds the government responsible for “serious human rights abuses.”
This type of sanction is imposed by the US government under the Magnitsky legislation that allows freeze financial assets and freeze travel to anyone who violates human rights in any country in the world.
Despite the fact that Joe Biden during his campaign promised to return to the thaw that began with the government of Barak Obama with the Cuban government, these sanctions leave on the table that Biden could harden his actions against Cuba.
However, a few days ago it was learned that President Joe Biden ordered the Department of State to deal with the Cuba issue, mainly requested an exhaustive review of his government’s policy regarding remittances to Cuba; in addition to reviewing the possibility of sending more personnel to the US embassy in Havana.
In addition to the issue of remittances and the US embassy Dense in Havana, the Biden administration also seems to be able to collaborate with internet access to the entire island. Until now, the only means of communication for Cubans has been social networks.
Some US legislators, interested On the subject of Cuba, they have even urged President Biden to offer satellite internet for the island. While other critics have mentioned that Cuba’s problem is not mainly about helping them to have internet, but that it goes further and consists of freedoms and rights of the island’s inhabitants.
While the Cuban government has not responded to the sanctions imposed on its officials by the United States, but has held them responsible for “provoking the protests” .
In addition, the Cuban government announced the elimination of restrictions on the importation of food and medicine to the island. The measure is not final, it is an “exceptional” order and approved urgently by the Ministry of Finance and Prices, but until now it will only be until 20 December of this year.