The government of the United States on Friday said it was sanctioning Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and other high-ranking officials for human rights abuses and limiting visa access on the anniversary of the largest protests on the island in decades.
Visa Restrictions on Cuban Officials
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media site X that the State Department also would place visa restrictions on Cuban judicial and prison officials “responsible for, or complicit in, the unjust detention and torture of the July 2021 protesters.”
The protests, which were not organized by an opposition group, emerged July 11 and 12, 2021, calling attention to the depths of Cuba’s economic crisis.
Rubio Reaffirms US Support for Cuban Citizens
“The U.S. will continue to stand for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the people of Cuba, and make clear no illegitimate, dictatorial regimes are welcome in our hemisphere,” Rubio said in the statement.
The Trump administration has been tougher on the government of Cuba than the Biden administration.
Besides Díaz-Canel, the U.S. also sanctioned Cuban Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera and Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas.
Cuban Response: Harsh Words for Rubio
Soon after the announcement, Johana Tablada, deputy director of the U.S. department in the Cuban Foreign Ministry, attacked Rubio, calling him a “defender of genocide, prisons and mass deportations.”
The few 2021 protests resulted from recurrent blackouts in Havana and other cities. One person was killed and some of the marches turned into vandalism.
Government-backed groups replied along with authorities to quell the protests. Human rights organizations estimated over 1,000 people were arrested but the government provided no figures.
Cuban Narrative: Blaming US Pressure and Media
Then, the Cuban government attributed it to a U.S. media campaign and U.S. sanctions over several decades.
During 2022, Cuban prosecutors stated that roughly 790 individuals were prosecuted for protesting-related acts that varied from disorder to sabotage and vandalism.
The lobbying group 11J, named after the demonstrations, reported late last year that 554 individuals were incarcerated on charges connected to the demonstrations, but some were released conditionally in January after a plea by Pope Francis.
