US slaps Cuban president after four years of historic protests

Cuba’s President Faces U.S. Sanctions on Fourth Anniversary of Anti‑Government Protests

The United States announced sanctions against Cuban President Miguel Diaz‑Canel on Friday, citing the regime’s “brutality toward the Cuban people.” The State Department will now restrict visas for Diaz‑Canel and other high‑ranking officials.

Officials Under Sanctions

• Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera
• Interior Minister Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas

Cuban Response

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez criticized the measures on X, stating that the U.S. can’t “bend the will of its people or its leaders.”

Havana’s New Hotel Added to Restricted List

The State Department also added the 42‑story Torre K hotel in Havana to its list of entities, aiming to prevent U.S. dollars from funding the regime’s repression. The hotel, recently inaugurated in the capital’s central area, drew criticism for the government’s large investment in new hotels amid a decline in tourism.

Criticism About Government Spending

“While the Cuban people suffer shortages of food, water, medicine, and electricity, the regime lavishes money on its insiders,” Rubio said.

Accusations Against Dissident Leader Jose Daniel Ferrer

Rubio also used X to accuse Cuba of torturing dissident leader Jose Daniel Ferrer four years after the government crushed massive protests. The United States demands “immediate proof of life and the release of all political prisoners.”

Background of the July 2021 Demonstrations

• The demonstrations were the largest since the Cuban Revolution in the 1950s.
• Hundreds were arrested, one death was reported, and dozens were wounded.
• Ferrer, leader of the dissident group Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), was among 553 prisoners released in January after former U.S. president Joe Biden removed Cuba from the blacklist of countries sponsoring terrorism.
• At the end of April, his parole was revoked, prompting criticism from Washington, which has placed Cuba back on the blacklist after Trump returned to power.