July 11 (teleSUR) Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bruno Rodriguez, rejected the new sanctions imposed by the United States government against Cuba as part of the continuation of its aggressive measures against the island. The high official described this new package of sanctions as part of a prolonged and merciless economic war against Cuba, reaffirming that his country and its leaders will not bow down despite the aggression. In turn, the Cuban government pointed directly at the Donald Trump administration for promoting a strategy of regime change through a policy of economic asphixiation in an attempt to provoke destabilization actions in the country.

In this context, the US Department of State announced that it will impose a new package of sanctions against the President of Cuba, Miguel Diaz Canel, the Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces, and the Ministry of Interior of Cuba. The sanctions include direct visa bans for family members of those sanctions as well as measures limiting the travel of members of the Cuban judicial and prison systems.

Panama City, July 11 (Prensa Latina) Cuban diplomats in Panama today condemned terrorist acts organized and perpetrated from the United States against their country, which have been reported on the island.

In a message on the social network X by the ambassador of the largest of the Antilles in the isthmus, Víctor Cairo, he points out the repudiation of these criminal actions that have been exposed, while emphasizing that Cuba is firm.

Last Thursday, at a press conference, the deputy head of the specialized agency of the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation of the Ministry of the Interior, Víctor Álvarez, stated that the number of individuals and organizations perpetrating terrorist acts against Cuba has increased.

Álvarez emphasized that the Caribbean nation has “sufficient evidence implicating individuals residing in several countries, primarily the United States.”

For her part, Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal denounced that the Caribbean country is a target of terrorist acts with the complicity and inaction of the authorities of the northern nation.

Vidal commented that “the impunity with which terrorist groups have acted against his country on U.S. soil for more than six decades” “is largely a consequence of the inaction, complicity, and lack of commitment of the United States government.”

These actions are “aimed at harming the security and integrity of the Cuban population and our institutions and facilities, both in Cuba and in the United States and other parts of the world,” he added.

The Cuban diplomat appeared before local and international media at the International Press Center and reported that authorities had updated and submitted to the United Nations the list of individuals and entities responsible for extremist acts against the Caribbean nation.

ro/ga

July 11, 2025 — teleSUR

Bolivarian authorities describe the new coercive measures as “acts of financial piracy disguised as false morality,” referring to the sanctions against senior Cuban government officials, including President Díaz-Canel.

The Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela expressed, through an official statement, “its most energetic and categorical rejection of the infamous statement by the Secretary of State of the United States (USA), Marco Rubio , who in a new display of hatred, unhealthy obsession and imperial arrogance, seeks to sanction the legitimate president of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez ,” in reference to the note released this afternoon by the US State Department.

According to the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, this act constitutes an affront to international law , as a U.S. government official has assumed the power to unilaterally sanction the head of state of a sovereign nation .

Bolivarian authorities denounce that this measure goes beyond a violation of the fundamental principles of coexistence among nations . “The attempt to punish President Díaz-Canel is an expression of profound contempt for the free peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean ,” the text states.

VENEZUELA-CUBA STATEMENTDischarge

The Venezuelan government describes the US Secretary of State as “a spokesperson for resentment and failure .” It also denounces Marco Rubio as blinded by hatred and self-conscious about Cuba’s invincible dignity. These circumstances have led him to build “his political career on the desire to destroy revolutions that he neither understands nor will ever be able to subdue. His sick determination against Cuba is doomed to the same fate as all imperialist attempts against our America: absolute failure,” the statement reads.

The Bolivarian authorities declare that the imposition of new coercive measures is nothing more than “acts of financial piracy disguised as false morality .” They also highlight the Cuban people’s resistance with heroic dignity and accuse the U.S. government of being directly responsible for the suffering caused by “the criminal and illegal blockade, cowardly intensified by figures like Rubio.”

In this context, “Venezuela reiterates its absolute and unrestricted support for the people, the Government of the Republic of Cuba, and its President, and denounces before the international community the policy of
systematic aggression promoted by the current U.S. Secretary of State, whose sole agenda is to prolong the Monroe Doctrine under new guises,” the statement concludes.

The U.S. says it is “taking steps to impose visa restrictions” on other Cuban officials.

July 11, 2025 — teleSUR

The U.S. State Department on Friday sanctioned Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel , along with Defense Minister Álvaro López Miera and Interior Minister Lázaro Alberto Álvarez Casas , according to a statement released by the agency.

Sanctions were also issued against their immediate family members, who will not be allowed to travel to the United States.

Similarly, the US indicates that it is ” taking steps to impose visa restrictions ” on other Cuban judicial and prison officials.

The U.S. government also announced the update of its list of Restricted Properties in Cuba and the Prohibited Accommodations in Cuba list , which includes 11 more properties linked to the Cuban government, including the new “Torre K” hotel. With this, the U.S. seeks to ” prevent U.S. funds from reaching the island .”

According to the State Department, the sanctions against senior Cuban officials were issued for allegedly being involved in ” serious human rights violations ,” which is part of a smear campaign by the U.S. against the island’s government .

The U.S. also stated that it “took steps to implement President Trump’s enhanced policy toward Cuba , outlined in Presidential Memorandum on National Security-5, dated June 30, 2025.”

Upon hearing the news, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla rejected “ immigration sanctions against revolutionary leaders” and denounced the U.S. as capable of “maintaining a prolonged and ruthless economic war against Cuba.”

The U.S. tightens the blockade against Cuba under Donald Trump’s administration.

The measure taken this Friday against senior Cuban officials follows the Trump administration’s announcement in early July, which approved a new presidential memorandum prohibiting U.S. citizens from traveling to Cuba as tourists .

The Memorandum also mandates periodic audits and requires travelers to record all Cuba-related transactions for at least five years, and tightens  restrictions on remittances to the island , which had already fallen by 43.4% in 2024. 

It also establishes  more severe sanctions against Cuban entities , especially those linked to military institutions and the intelligence and security sectors of the Cuban State.

These measures are part of the so-called “maximum pressure” policy by the U.S. government, which it has maintained against Cuba since 2019, when President Donald Trump, in his first term, issued 243 new unilateral coercive measures , with the purpose of suffocating the economy and stimulating a supposed transitional government in Cuba.

Cuban authorities have spoken out against the measures imposed by the U.S., which reinforce the economic, commercial, and financial blockade that the country has maintained against Cuba for more than 60 years.

July 10, 2025 — Belly of the Beast

Brazilian table tennis World Cup champion Hugo Calderano was barred from competing in a major tournament in Las Vegas last week when the U.S. denied him a visa. The reason? He competed in Cuba two years ago.

“I followed the same protocol as all my previous trips to the United States using my Portuguese passport. When I was informed of the situation, I mobilized my entire team to obtain an emergency visa, but unfortunately, there was not enough time,” Calderano said in a statement. “It is frustrating to be left out of one of the most important competitions of the season for reasons beyond my control.”

Calderano, who is the highest ranked non-Chinese player in the world, holds dual citizenship from Portugal. As a Portuguese citizen, he is eligible to travel to the U.S. without a visa by filling out a simple online form via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

But the U.S. government automatically revokes this visa waiver for anyone who has visited Cuba because the State Department lists the nation as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” (SSOT).

Citizens from 42 countries can get a visa waiver via ESTA. But if they’ve visited Cuba, they must apply for a visa at a U.S. embassy in order to visit the United States, a process that can take months.

There is no evidence that Cuba sponsors terrorism. The listing is not formally a sanction. However, inclusion on the list has cut off the island from international trade, credit, banking and investment – making SSOT a centerpiece of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” strategy to decimate the Cuban economy.

The terror list largely explains the decrease of much-needed European tourism, as Europeans think twice before coming to Cuba to avoid losing their U.S. travel perks.

Watch our video and hear from European travelers on the U.S. measure HERE.

July 8, 2025 — Travel and Tour World

The American administration has made a significant step in restricting American tourism to Cuba while escalating a hitherto tense relationship between both nations. In response to a new policy shift by the U.S., visitors to Cuba are now subject to a massive fine of $250,000 for violating its prohibitions on tourism-related activities. These new restrictions form part of a bigger scheme aimed at tightening economic and political pressure on the Cuban government, especially after its reclassification as a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.S. in 2021.

The U.S. travel ban to Cuba has been on for decades, but new developments have made penalties and rules of travel more complex. One key part of renewed enforcement is a Presidential Proclamation, which came into effect in June 2025. It totally halts tourist visas, including B‑1/B‑2 visas for travel and J‑1 exchange visitor visas, from being issued to Cuban nationals and to all individuals traveling for other than a bona fide intent. It further limits American citizens from engaging in any tourist activity in Cuba without a special license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

This policy shift follows a string of actions by the U.S. government, which has insisted on having its embargo of Cuba in place since the early 1960s. These new prohibitions are aimed at efforts at financial transactions that would accrue a benefit to Cuban state entities, including its military and intelligence apparatus.

Political and Security Reasons for the Prohibition

The U.S. government’s tourist ban is largely based on national security concerns. In 2021, Cuba was officially listed by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terror based on its refusal to cooperate on law enforcement issues, its funding of foreign terrorist organizations, and its refusal to accept deportees. These actions have been responsible for fanning hostilities between both nations and thus tourist travel restrictions.

The U.S. State Department also refers to a lack of response on behalf of the Cuban government to address visa overstays and other immigration issues as among the leading motivations for ongoing travel restrictions. For U.S. citizens, the new travel warning now warns that Cuba is a country where its citizens may encounter wrongful imprisonment, electricity outages, and unreliable embassy assistance. For these and other reasons, the State Department now urges visitors to “reconsider travel” to Cuba and offers a Level 2 travel advisory.

Economic and Social Impacts of Prohibition

The American travel ban has significant effects, not only on American travelers but also on Cuban citizens, their families, and businesses. Cuba was always a sophisticated destination for American travelers, with its rich culture, beautiful scenery, and thriving musical life. In any case, the embargo has had a lasting effect on Cuba’s economy, as tourism is a high-earning activity for Cuba.

Particularly, remittances sent by Cuban Americans to their families in Cuba are currently more closely tracked. Cubans are also frustrated by greater restrictions, which make it difficult for them to access money from their American families and add additional pressure on the economy. In addition, private ventures in Cuba—specifically belonging to businessmen wishing to access new demand for personal services directly—are currently exposed to new financial difficulties.

To American experts, journalists, and researchers previously allowed to travel to Cuba on professional and academic merits, new restrictions pose a new challenge. Even as these industries could still travel on a special license, navigating through the system now becomes difficult as visas build up and bureaucracy slows momentum.

Criminal and Monetary Penalties

The U.S. government has also increased sanctions for violating the tourism embargo, and now fines can reach $250,000. It’s tighter than ever on enforcement of the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) by the U.S. Treasury Department. These prohibit any monetary transactions related to tourism in Cuba (e.g., funds for lodging, transportation, or other tourist costs) except by a traveler with an OFAC license.

American Airlines and others have reiterated that tourist travel to Cuba remains illegal, and only a limited subset of licensed purposes—official government, journalism, and humanitarian—is allowed. Even for these purposes, American visitors are required to obey stringent restrictions, such as the use of cash, as no U.S. credit cards are acceptable in Cuba. Even financial transactions are required to be carried out through licensed intermediaries such as CADECA, licensed exchange desks in Cuba.

What This Means for Americans Thinking About a Trip

For American citizens who would like to visit Cuba legally, planning will have to grow more sophisticated as these rules grow increasingly complex. Those who desire to travel on family visits, professional research, journalism, or religious work all require obtaining the required licenses from OFAC. Travel restrictions to Cuba have become stricter than ever before, and offenders face heavy penalties or criminal prosecution.

The families aiming to reunite with their relatives in Cuba face delays in their applications for visas, thus increasingly finding it hard to maintain major personal contacts. Further tightening of restrictions will also delay the prospect of a thawing of relations between the two countries, which had temporarily relaxed in the mid-2010s.

The Cost of U.S. Policy

This widening distance between Cuba and the U.S. continues to affect real people—families split asunder, students prevented from continuing studies, and businessmen and women with additional economic burdens. These policies have, for many, ceased to be politics—they are a day-to-day hurdle to maintain relations, to chase a goal of academic excellence, or market local Cuban products. Behind policies are the faces of people whose lives get lost in geopolitics’ crossfire.

For others still hoping to indulge in Cuba’s rich culture or visit loved ones, these visits become more difficult with restrictions and cause people to reconsider their plans and face new entry barriers. On the heels of developments, continued restriction of tourism becomes a testament to tensions between both countries—a sore reminder of how foreign relations can sometimes become a thorny and problematic tangle of conflicting loyalties and demands. Finally, this latest move by the U.S. administration marks a new page in the complex and stormy U.S.-Cuba relationship, having significant impacts on both sides of the Straits of Florida.

(Source: U.S. State Department, White House, U.S. Treasury Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Commerce)

Havana, July 8 (Prensa Latina) The Portugal-Cuba Friendship Association (AAPC) rejects the recent actions of the United States government to intensify the economic, commercial, and financial blockade against the Caribbean nation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated today.

A publication from the Cuban Foreign Ministry confirms that the AAPC considers the memorandum signed by President Donald Trump “a revised version” of a similar text signed in June 2017.

Thus, the Association denounces, the Trump administration “prolongs aggressive policies that seek to increase pressure on Cuba and constitutes an attempt to further oppress the Cuban economy and interfere in the country’s internal affairs.”

It also accuses the US of maintaining the siege for more than six decades and implementing additional measures that cause “serious damage” to the Caribbean island, expressed in the “shortage of essential goods” and difficulties in production and economic recovery.

Among the measures imposed, he notes, “mention should be made of the ban on transactions between U.S. citizens and Cubans, the prohibition on companies and governments in other countries doing business with Cuba, and sanctions on companies in the financial and energy sectors, among others.”

He also emphasizes that the illegality of these actions has been “denounced by legal experts and international organizations” and rejected in “successive votes in the UN General Assembly, which, since 1992 and almost unanimously, has called for an end to the blockade.”

Cuba’s inclusion on the list of state sponsors of terrorism reveals “the hypocrisy of the United States, which for decades has destabilized and interfered in the internal affairs of other states that, like Cuba, are governed by relations of friendship, cooperation, and respect,” he notes.

“The AAPC vehemently denounces and rejects the coercive actions of U.S. policy toward Cuba,” it proclaims.

He added that the “Solidarity Campaign For Cuba! End the Blockade!”, already signed by dozens of organizations, has grown and given voice to the resistance of the heroic Cuban people, calling for the strengthening of the Portuguese people’s solidarity with Cuba.

Why solidarity? Because Cuba has been facing a criminal, illegal, and immoral blockade for more than six decades! Because Cuba has the right to defend its sovereignty and decide its own path, without external interference or aggression, declares the Portugal-Cuba Friendship Association.

rgh/raj

by Stacy M. Brown July 8, 2025 — The Washington Informer

Cuba’s Deputy Director of U.S. Affairs Johana Tablada offered a sobering but impassioned critique of current U.S. policy toward Cuba, where she called on Americans — especially African Americans — to pay closer attention to the consequences of decades-long sanctions and misinformation.

In an interview at Black Press USA’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., Tablada described the current relationship between the U.S. and Cuba as being “at a low point,” marked by “maximum aggression” from the U.S. government. 

“It is difficult to describe this as anything but open hostility,” she told Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the trade association representing more than 200 African American newspapers and media companies. “This year alone, since Jan. 20, the U.S. has imposed more than a dozen unilateral coercive measures against Cuba.”

Recently, the Trump administration signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) regarding Cuba, supporting an “economic embargo” on Cuba and enforcing “the statutory ban on U.S. tourism to Cuba,” and reversing Cuban-American relations that had been advanced by his predecessor.

“This NSPM restores and strengthens the robust Cuba policy from the president’s first term, reversing the Biden administration’s revocation that eased pressure on the Cuban regime,” according to a June 30 White House fact sheet on the NSPM. 

The sanctions — from his inauguration in January to the late-June NSMP — Tablada noted, go far beyond restricting trade; they include denying visas to Cuban athletes and scientists, interfering with cultural exchanges, and cutting remittances through Western Union. 

“The Cuban Olympic Committee’s president wasn’t granted a visa to attend events in the U.S.,” she said. “And this during a cycle leading up to the Olympics in Los Angeles.”

Tablada specifically pointed to the Trump administration’s reinstatement of Cuba on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism as fraudulent and damaging. 

“It’s a designation based on lies,” she said. “And when a country is placed on that list, it becomes nearly impossible to receive oil, medical supplies, or even financial transfers due to global banking fears.”

She drew a sharp contrast between the current state of U.S.-Cuba policy and the optimism that accompanied President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Havana in 2016. 

“We had a breakthrough,” she declared. “We were talking and engaging respectfully—even when we disagreed. That’s no longer happening.”

Cuban Connections With Africa, African American Community 

Throughout the 40-minute interview, Tablada spoke fondly of the long-standing solidarity between Cuba and the African American community. 

She invoked the legacy of Malcolm X, the symbolism of his 1960 meeting with Fidel Castro in Harlem, and Cuba’s military support for liberation movements in Angola and South Africa. 

“Cuba is the only country in Latin America that went back to Africa and fought and died to end apartheid,” she said. “That bond with the African diaspora is deep and permanent.”

She noted that Cuban identity and culture are inextricably linked to Africa. 

“Our music, our food, our sense of honor—it all comes from Mother Africa. And we have a responsibility to protect that legacy,” she remarked.

‘Provoked Suffering and Hardship‘

Tablada called the decades-long U.S. embargo — enforced through a patchwork of laws, including the 1917 Trading with the Enemy Act, the Helms-Burton Act, and the Torricelli Act — an unprecedented and inhumane measure. 

“There is no other country in the world that faces this level of comprehensive economic warfare,” she said. “It’s not just unfair; it’s provoked suffering and hardship.”

She added that Cuba has never retaliated with sanctions or actions against the United States, highlighting the one-sided nature of the policy.

The diplomat also pushed back on U.S. accusations of forced labor in Cuba’s international medical missions.

 “We operate in 56 countries with agreements supported by the United Nations,” she said. “Yes, those missions generate income to fund our free health care system—but calling that human trafficking is a grotesque lie. The U.S. is spending millions to manufacture pretexts for aggression.”

Tablada warned that U.S. policies are even affecting tourism and access to energy. 

“Today, the U.S. actively blocks vessels from delivering oil to Cuba. It pressures other countries to deny Cuba tourism access,” she asserted. “And then it blames us for the resulting blackouts and scarcities. This is not diplomacy. This is punishment.”

Tablada Offers Call to Action

Despite the challenges, Tablada expressed hope in the people of the United States. 

“I believe that if Americans—especially African Americans—knew the full truth, they would reject these policies,” she said. “Because they have always stood on the side of justice, from civil rights to solidarity with global liberation movements.”

She extended an invitation for the Black Press of America to work with Cuban journalists to strengthen the exchange of truth. 

“Let’s put Cuba back on the radar,” she said. “The people of both countries want peace, not conflict.”

While Tablada admitted to a lot of challenges, she said she still has hope based on two factors: “Our youth and the truth.”

“When people talk to each other honestly, Tablada continued, “good things happen.”

As Cuba’s deputy director of U.S. Affairs, Tablada said she would welcome a conversation with President Trump himself.

“Let’s talk. Cuba is not an enemy of the United States,” she said. “Let’s stop the lies and sit down. Every time we’ve done that, progress followed.”

July 7, 2025 — Cuba Si

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, host of the 17th BRICS Summit, warmly greeted his Cuban counterpart Miguel Díaz-Canel today with an embrace and a firm handshake that spoke volumes beyond words.

The encounter took place during the afternoon session of the forum’s opening day, which is being held for the first time in South America with the participation not only of the bloc’s five founding members but also of a growing constellation of invited nations expanding the reach of the Global South.

Among them is Cuba, widely recognized for its enduring resilience under what is considered the longest economic blockade in modern history.

For many attending the summit at Rio de Janeiro’s Museum of Modern Art, Lula’s greeting was more than a simple gesture. It was seen as a political affirmation, evoking the years when Lula shared platforms with the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, whether in Porto Alegre or at meetings of the São Paulo Forum.

As the founder of Brazil’s ruling Workers’ Party, Lula has long viewed Cuba not only as a symbol of steadfastness but also as an essential voice for the Caribbean and Latin America in multilateral arenas. Without uttering a word, Lula’s greeting suggested that Cuba, a nation subjected to an unjust blockade for more than six decades, stands firm and speaks on behalf of many.

Analysts regard Cuba’s invitation to the summit as an act of diplomatic sovereignty, as well as a reaffirmation of regional integration.

Despite internal challenges, Havana remains the most politically influential force in the insular Caribbean, with a legacy of international solidarity that continues to earn respect across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

As the major powers within BRICS — China, India, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa — deliberate on alternative currencies, energy transitions, and new global power balances, Cuba’s presence is a reminder that the geopolitics of the Global South also carries Caribbean and island perspectives.

In alignment with Lula’s gesture, the final BRICS declaration condemned the use of unilateral trade sanctions and tariff increases as tools of political pressure.

However, the document did not directly name the United States or the administration of former President Donald Trump.

According to the declaration, the imposition of unilateral coercive measures violates international law.

BRICS rejected such actions, including secondary and extraterritorial sanctions, noting that these measures “have severe negative impacts on human rights, including the rights to development, health, and food security for the general population of the affected states.”