U.S. sanctions pressure on Cuba: White House blocks Havana as a key hub for the autocratic axis in the Caribbean

On July 12, 2025, the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Cuban senior officials, including President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera, Interior Minister Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas, and other security officials close to the country’s leadership.

Announced by Secretary of State Rubio on the fourth anniversary of mass anti-government protests in Cuba, these sanctions against the local ruling elite continued the policy of intensified economic, legal, and diplomatic pressure on the island, initiated by the White House in January 2025.

The first day of Donald Trump’s new presidential term was marked by the reinstatement of Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. In late January 2025, the U.S. implemented Title III of the LIBERTAD Act, intensifying legal, economic, and diplomatic pressure on Cuba and companies associated with Cuban assets.