America slaps penalties on Cuba's leader, relatives of Castro

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A handout picture released by ACN (Cuban News Agency) shows Cuba’s President and First Secretary Miguel Diaz-Canel attending a session of the Cuban Parliament in Havana on July 16, 2025. Cuban labor minister Marta Elena Feito resigned on July 15, 2025, amid an uproar over her claim that people rummaging through garbage cans were only pretending to be poor and not truly desperate. (Photo by Handout / ACN / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / ACN (CUBAN NEWS AGENCY) / HANDOUT / ” – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

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The United States announced fresh economic sanctions Thursday on Cuba’s president and some of his immediate family, alongside members of the Castro family, in Washington’s latest ramping up of pressure on its communist-led neighbor.

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Among those targeted were the son and a grandson of former president Raul Castro, who no longer holds an official position but remains a key figure on decisions about the future of the island.

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President Miguel Diaz-Canel, his wife and stepson were also hit by the latest Treasury Department sanctions, as was the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and several other entities.

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While the United States has had an embargo on Cuba for decades, US President Donald Trump has drastically ramped up pressure on the island in recent months and openly muses about taking it over.

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A de facto fuel blockade has deepened the island’s energy crisis and hit its already fragile economy.

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The Treasury’s latest actions also follow an earlier move in 2025 when Washington restricted visas for the Cuban president and other high-ranking government officials.

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Trump has repeatedly signaled that the Cuban government could be next after Venezuela to fall to US pressure.

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AFP

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