Biden Announces Sanctions on Cuban Government... "This Is Just the Beginning"

Cuban Defense Minister Sanctioned Special Forces
First Cuba Sanctions Since Biden Administration Took Office

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Joe Biden administration in the United States has announced sanctions against the Cuban government, which recently harshly suppressed anti-government protests in Cuba, marking the first such action since its inauguration. President Biden also stated that these sanctions are just the beginning and continued to make strong remarks against the Cuban regime. While the U.S. has strongly indicated its intention to intervene, it is reported that the momentum of the anti-government protests in Cuba has not easily subsided despite the government's harsh crackdown.

On the 22nd (local time), the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced that it would place Cuban Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera and special forces under the Cuban Ministry of the Interior, who are known to have suppressed the anti-government protests, on the sanctions list. This is the first sanction imposed on Cuba since the Biden administration took office.

The U.S. Treasury stated that these sanctions are based on the 'Global Magnitsky Act.' This law freezes the U.S. assets of individuals involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption, restricts their visas, and prohibits U.S. companies from doing business with them. Notably, this sanction measure is known to have been carried out under the direct instruction of President Biden.

President Biden also emphasized in a statement on the same day, "These sanctions are only the beginning, and we will continue to sanction those responsible for oppressing the Cuban people," adding, "We condemn the sham trials and mass detentions that unjustly imprisoned those who raised their voices amid threats to silence the Cuban people." He also stated, "We are reviewing remittance policies to support the Cuban people."

Regarding the Cuban government's disconnection of internet access, including social networking services (SNS), to weaken the protesters' cohesion, he stressed, "We are cooperating with civil society organizations and the private sector to bypass Cuban government censorship and ensure Cuban citizens' right to internet access."

Earlier, on the 11th, in Cuba, citizens who could no longer endure the worsening COVID-19 situation and economic hardships took to the streets, shouting for the overthrow of the dictatorship and freedom, holding large-scale anti-government protests. The Cuban government attempted a harsh crackdown, resulting in one death and hundreds of arrests.

However, unlike previous protests, this one is not directly connected to any leading group or opposition political forces, so despite the Cuban authorities' harsh crackdown, the protest momentum has not easily subsided. Professor Michael Bustamante of Florida International University explained in an interview with NBC, "The characteristic of this protest is that no one can predict who, where, or how the protests will proceed, and there is no visible leadership," adding, "The Cuban regime is greatly flustered and is in a situation where it must bring about changes to the current one-party dictatorship in some way."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.