Trump reiterates plans to take over and impose new sanctions, Cuba criticizes it as collective punishment
U.S. President Trump's expression of intent to impose new sanctions and "take over" Cuba has been strongly criticized by Cuba as "collective punishment." A large-scale protest was held in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana on May Day.
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- 📰 Published: May 2, 2026 at 14:58
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(Central News Agency Havana 1st Comprehensive Foreign Report) Cuba today stated that the new sanctions imposed by U.S. President Trump on Cuba constitute "collective punishment"; at the same time, Cuba held a large-scale parade on May Day, with crowds shouting "Defend the homeland" outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana.
According to Agence France-Presse, Trump has talked about his intention to take over Cuba, a country just 145 kilometers from Florida, which has been almost continuously affected by the U.S. trade embargo since Fidel Castro led the communist revolution in 1959.
Tonight, Trump told an audience in Florida that the U.S. would "take over" the Caribbean island "almost immediately."
Trump today issued an executive order stating that sanctions will be imposed on individuals involved in various economic sectors in Cuba, where the economy is mainly government-led.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that the latest sanctions constitute "collective punishment" for the Cuban people.
He posted in English on social media platform X: "We firmly oppose the recent unilateral coercive measures taken by the U.S. government. These actions once again show its intention to inflict collective punishment on the Cuban people." He also issued a statement in Spanish, calling the sanctions "illegal" and "abusive."
Trump's executive order stated that these measures target individuals known to be "involved in or have been involved in related activities in the energy, defense and related materials, metals and mining, financial services or security sectors of the Cuban economy, or in any sector of the Cuban economy," as well as Cuban officials deemed to be involved in "serious human rights violations" or corruption.
Cuba was already in economic stagnation, and the situation has worsened after Washington imposed a fuel blockade in January, with only one Russian oil tanker having arrived in Cuba since then. Shortages of supplies and power outages have become commonplace, and tourism, once Cuba's most profitable industry, has shrunk significantly.
Today's new sanctions took effect during the May Day celebrations. Led by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and former revolutionary leader Raul Castro, large crowds paraded to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, shouting "Defend the homeland." (Compiler: Zhang Xiaowen) 1150502
According to Agence France-Presse, Trump has talked about his intention to take over Cuba, a country just 145 kilometers from Florida, which has been almost continuously affected by the U.S. trade embargo since Fidel Castro led the communist revolution in 1959.
Tonight, Trump told an audience in Florida that the U.S. would "take over" the Caribbean island "almost immediately."
Trump today issued an executive order stating that sanctions will be imposed on individuals involved in various economic sectors in Cuba, where the economy is mainly government-led.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that the latest sanctions constitute "collective punishment" for the Cuban people.
He posted in English on social media platform X: "We firmly oppose the recent unilateral coercive measures taken by the U.S. government. These actions once again show its intention to inflict collective punishment on the Cuban people." He also issued a statement in Spanish, calling the sanctions "illegal" and "abusive."
Trump's executive order stated that these measures target individuals known to be "involved in or have been involved in related activities in the energy, defense and related materials, metals and mining, financial services or security sectors of the Cuban economy, or in any sector of the Cuban economy," as well as Cuban officials deemed to be involved in "serious human rights violations" or corruption.
Cuba was already in economic stagnation, and the situation has worsened after Washington imposed a fuel blockade in January, with only one Russian oil tanker having arrived in Cuba since then. Shortages of supplies and power outages have become commonplace, and tourism, once Cuba's most profitable industry, has shrunk significantly.
Today's new sanctions took effect during the May Day celebrations. Led by Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and former revolutionary leader Raul Castro, large crowds paraded to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, shouting "Defend the homeland." (Compiler: Zhang Xiaowen) 1150502